Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Aurora, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Aurora, IL: $2,774 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $26,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Aurora, IL
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Aurora, IL Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Aurora, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,774

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Aurora, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New York, NY and in Aurora, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,774 in Aurora, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Aurora, IL $2,774

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,792 in Aurora, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Aurora, IL $3,792

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,810 in Aurora, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Aurora, IL $4,810

New York, NY costs about 78% more than Aurora, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Aurora, IL sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Aurora, IL by 104%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$14.22 $14.22

100.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$59.5 $59.5

99.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.78 $11.78

27.67%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.40 $5.40

20.93%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.89 $2.89

37.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.27 $2.27

32.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$4.85 $4.85

68.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.87 $7.87

25.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.91 $0.91

50.55%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.53 $3.53

40.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.31 $4.31

81.21%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.64 $3.64

64.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$8.92 $8.92

112.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$11.49 $11.49

57.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$16.23 $16.23

17.38%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.62 $4.62

46.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.73 $1.73

31.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.73 $3.73

83.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.18 $3.18

122.96%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.89 $1.89

123.28%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.72 $2.72

70.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.78 $1.78

61.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.63 $1.63

59.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$10.56 $10.56

77.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$13.70 $13.70

46.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.31 $2.31

49.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.81 $2.81

43.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.27 $2.27

28.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$96.8 $96.8

43.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.04 $4.04

-23.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.98 $1.98

7.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$43.86 $43.86

-4.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.09 $1.09

7.34%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

27.11%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.0K $26.0K

-0.51%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 $219

$174 $174

26.10%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$51.5 $51.5

44.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$55.2 $55.2

27.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$17.52 $17.52

538.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$12.19 $12.19

81.62%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,558 $3,558

$1,470 $1,470

142.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$23.6K $23.6K

163.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$56.2 $56.2

34.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$89.2 $89.2

38.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$80.6 $80.6

73.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,594 $1,594

182.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,577 $1,577

95.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,856 $2,856

230.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,215 $2,215

134.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$5,141 $5,141

252.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,361 $2,361

183.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,880 $3,880

34.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.45

6.36%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Aurora, IL: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Aurora, IL

$1.6K 56.9% 48.8% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Aurora, IL

$356 12.8% 36.8% $207

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Aurora, IL

$274 9.9% 37.7% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Aurora, IL

$281 10.1% 22.8% $83

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Aurora, IL

$125 4.5% 28.9% $51

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Aurora, IL

$120 4.3% 27.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Aurora, IL

$42 1.5% 73.2% $114

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,594 in Aurora, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 35% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $59 in Aurora, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $356 – making Aurora, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Aurora, IL

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

14:03 2:03 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

180,542

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Aurora, IL 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Aurora, IL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

New York, NY vs Aurora, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 78% more than Aurora, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $4,161 in Aurora, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aurora, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,594 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY and $59 in Aurora, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,774 in Aurora, IL. That’s a gap of about 78%.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,774 in Aurora, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Aurora, IL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Aurora, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.