Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bradley, IL: $2,340 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $31,200 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Bradley, IL
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Bradley, IL Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Bradley, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $2,340 in Bradley, IL.

New York, NY $4,938
Bradley, IL $2,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $3,428 in Bradley, IL.

New York, NY $7,273
Bradley, IL $3,428

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $4,517 in Bradley, IL.

New York, NY $9,608
Bradley, IL $4,517

Living in New York, NY is roughly 111% more expensive than in Bradley, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Bradley, IL 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$14.80 $14.80

68.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$62.6 $62.6

92.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$7.84 $7.84

75.26%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.61 $5.61

17.65%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.16 $2.16

76.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.13 $1.13

153.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$5.37 $5.37

48.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$4.93 $4.93

104.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.98 $0.98

39.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.38 $2.38

99.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.08 $4.08

88.48%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$3.94 $3.94

48.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$12.33 $12.33

56.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$15.71 $15.71

13.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$16.47 $16.47

15.54%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$5.91 $5.91

13.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.41 $2.41

-4.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$3.99 $3.99

60.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$5.32 $5.32

26.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.24 $3.24

21.30%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.73 $2.73

65.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.02 $2.02

38.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.99 $1.99

26.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$12.16 $12.16

48.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$14.67 $14.67

37.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.15 $2.15

51.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.06 $4.06

-7.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.83 $1.83

59.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$5.57 $5.57

-45.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.90 $2.90

-25.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$17.19 $17.19

140.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$27.6K $27.6K

20.16%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.4K $26.4K

-2.53%

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

$219 $219

-0.06%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$51.7 $51.7

45.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$64.9 $64.9

8.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$44.30 $44.30

160.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$9.56 $9.56

123.54%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,228 $1,228

179.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$12.4K $12.4K

397.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$46.39 $46.39

61.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$24.79 $24.79

110.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$58.5 $58.5

99.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$50.2 $50.2

168.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,476 $1,476

194.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,161 $1,161

168.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,202 $2,202

313.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$1,977 $1,977

172.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,548 $2,548

656.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,217 $2,217

213.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.82

0.44%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bradley, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Bradley, IL

$1.2K 49.6% 62.8% $2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Bradley, IL

$413 17.6% 25.3% $140

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Bradley, IL

$259 11.1% 36.3% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Bradley, IL

$336 14.4% 8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Bradley, IL

$81 3.5% 52.5% $89

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Bradley, IL

$27 * 1.2% 83.7% $141

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Bradley, IL

$63 2.7% 59.9% $95

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,347 in New York, NY and $1,476 in Bradley, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $120 in New York, NY vs $63.0 in Bradley, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $413 per month, with Bradley, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Bradley, IL

🕒 Local time

20:39 8:39 PM

19:39 7:39 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

15,419

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Bradley, IL 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

New York, NY and Bradley, IL differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($4,938 vs $2,340 including rent). Bradley, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $7,407 in New York, NY and $3,510 in Bradley, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,476 in Bradley, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,432 in New York, NY versus $1,228 in Bradley, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bradley, IL – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $120 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,340 in Bradley, IL versus $4,938 in New York, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bradley, IL but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Bradley, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Bradley, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.