Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Belleville, IL: $2,265 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $32,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,950
/mo nomad
Belleville, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,265
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Belleville, 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 Belleville, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,950 per month in New York, NY vs $2,265 in Belleville, IL, rent included.

  • New York, NY $4,950
  • Belleville, IL $2,265

A couple spends around $7,265 per month in New York, NY vs $3,396 in Belleville, IL, rent included.

  • New York, NY $7,265
  • Belleville, IL $3,396

A family of three spends $9,581 per month in New York, NY vs $4,526 in Belleville, IL, rent included.

  • New York, NY $9,581
  • Belleville, IL $4,526

New York, NY costs about 118% more than Belleville, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Belleville, IL sit above the global median – New York, NY by 267%, Belleville, IL by 68%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New York, NY
Belleville, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.65 $24.65
$17.89 $17.89
37.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$122 $122
$65.4 $65.4
85.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.91 $13.91
$9.26 $9.26
50.22%
Cappuccino
$6.59 $6.59
$4.16 $4.16
58.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.84 $3.84
$2.19 $2.19
75.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 $2.87
$1.69 $1.69
69.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.79 $7.79
$4.62 $4.62
68.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.85 $9.85
$5.04 $5.04
95.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
Belleville, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 $1.38
$0.99 $0.99
39.39%
White Bread (500g)
$4.68 $4.68
$2.31 $2.31
102.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.54 $7.54
$3.53 $3.53
113.60%
Eggs
$5.93 $5.93
$3.92 $3.92
51.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.83 $18.83
$11.89 $11.89
58.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.36 $17.36
$15.28 $15.28
13.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.51 $18.51
$13.11 $13.11
41.19%
Apples (1kg)
$6.74 $6.74
$6.94 $6.94
-2.88%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 $2.09
$2.27 $2.27
-7.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.07 $6.07
$4.33 $4.33
40.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.74 $6.74
$3.75 $3.75
79.73%
Potato (1kg)
$4.05 $4.05
$1.68 $1.68
141.07%
Onion (1kg)
$4.37 $4.37
$2.15 $2.15
103.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.89 $2.89
$1.77 $1.77
63.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.60 $2.60
$2.30 $2.30
13.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.72 $18.72
$7.87 $7.87
137.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.06 $20.06
$14.86 $14.86
34.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.25 $3.25
$2.14 $2.14
51.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.73 $3.73
$2.96 $2.96
26.01%
🚌 Getting Around
New York, NY
Belleville, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.06 $3.06
$1.03 $1.03
197.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$140 $140
$77.2 $77.2
81.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 $3.04
$3.53 $3.53
-13.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 $2.15
$2.51 $2.51
-14.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.82 $41.82
$17.79 $17.79
135.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$0.94 $0.94
19.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K $35.5K
$37.1K $37.1K
-4.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$24.4K $24.4K
6.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
Belleville, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$242 $242
-9.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$73.2 $73.2
$68.9 $68.9
6.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.0 $72.0
$66.3 $66.3
8.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
Belleville, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$123 $123
$35.69 $35.69
243.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$67.7 $67.7
$30.50 $30.50
121.87%
Cinema Ticket
$22.85 $22.85
$14.19 $14.19
61.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New York, NY
Belleville, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,333 $3,333
$1,053 $1,053
216.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$60.0K $60.0K
$12.5K $12.5K
378.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
Belleville, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.2 $75.2
$58.1 $58.1
29.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.4 $52.4
$24.73 $24.73
111.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$122 $122
$88.5 $88.5
37.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 $133
$105 $105
27.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
Belleville, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,389 $4,389
$1,284 $1,284
241.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,130 $3,130
$944 $944
231.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$8,918 $8,918
$2,091 $2,091
326.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,354 $5,354
$1,681 $1,681
218.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$19.4K $19.4K
$2,430 $2,430
698.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,806 $6,806
$1,882 $1,882
261.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
New York, NY
Belleville, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,343 $5,343
$6,389 $6,389
-16.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
6.72
1.49%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Last update for Belleville, IL: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
$3.1K
Belleville, IL
$944 69.8% $2.2K
Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
$545
Belleville, IL
$389 28.6% $156
Eating Out
New York, NY
$404
Belleville, IL
$270 33.2% $134
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
$364
Belleville, IL
$377 3.5% $13
Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
$172
Belleville, IL
$124 27.9% $48
Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
$168
Belleville, IL
$64 62% $104
Getting Around
New York, NY
$167
Belleville, IL
$97 41.5% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,389 in New York, NY versus $1,284 in Belleville, 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 20% higher in Belleville, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in New York, NY versus $65.0 in Belleville, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $545 vs $389 – making Belleville, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🇺🇸 Belleville, IL
🕒 Local time
03:22 3:22 AM
02:22 2:22 AM
1 h behind New York, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,804,190
42,404
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • New York, NY Belleville, IL 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • New York, NY
  • Belleville, 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 Belleville, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, New York, NY or Belleville, IL?
New York, NY costs about 118% more than Belleville, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in New York, NY and in Belleville, IL?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,424 per month in New York, NY and $3,398 in Belleville, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, New York, NY or Belleville, IL?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Belleville, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in New York, NY and in Belleville, IL?
Kindergarten costs $3,333 per month in New York, NY and $1,053 in Belleville, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in New York, NY or in Belleville, IL?
Groceries cost about 40% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $2,000/month in New York, NY or in Belleville, IL?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Belleville, IL, where all-in costs run around $2,265, than in New York, NY at $4,950. In Belleville, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, New York, NY or Belleville, IL?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Belleville, IL costs $2,265 versus $4,950 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is New York, NY compared to Belleville, IL?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to New York, NY or to Belleville, IL?
If budget matters most, go with Belleville, 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.

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