Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Carbondale, IL: $1,759 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $38,100 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Carbondale, IL
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Carbondale, IL Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Carbondale, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $1,759 in Carbondale, IL.

New York, NY $4,938
Carbondale, IL $1,759

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $2,131 in Carbondale, IL.

New York, NY $7,273
Carbondale, IL $2,131

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $2,503 in Carbondale, IL.

New York, NY $9,608
Carbondale, IL $2,503

Living in New York, NY is roughly 181% more expensive than in Carbondale, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Carbondale, IL 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$17.85 $17.85

40.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$38.28 $38.28

214.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$9.16 $9.16

50.00%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.12 $5.12

28.91%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.29 $2.29

66.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.94 $1.94

47.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$4.59 $4.59

73.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$8.20 $8.20

22.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.92 $0.92

48.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.10 $3.10

53.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.12 $4.12

86.65%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$3.71 $3.71

58.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$13.28 $13.28

44.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$11.47 $11.47

55.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$18.80 $18.80

1.22%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$5.60 $5.60

19.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.80 $1.80

27.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$5.92 $5.92

8.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$4.91 $4.91

37.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.62 $1.62

142.59%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.40 $2.40

88.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.64 $2.64

5.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.16 $2.16

16.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$9.04 $9.04

100.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$13.13 $13.13

53.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.70 $1.70

91.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.60 $1.60

134.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.03 $2.03

50.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.39 $1.39

55.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$19.64 $19.64

110.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.03 $1.03

8.74%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$27.5K $27.5K

20.39%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$27.3K $27.3K

-5.75%

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

$219 $219

$185 $185

18.35%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$85.5 $85.5

-11.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$75.6 $75.6

-6.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$11.92 $11.92

79.28%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,702 $1,702

101.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$24.5K $24.5K

151.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$46.99 $46.99

59.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$33.23 $33.23

56.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$83.1 $83.1

40.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$150 $150

-10.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$656 $656

562.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$554 $554

462.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$994 $994

1839.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$1,003 $1,003

592.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$3,801 $3,801

37.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.6

3.79%

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 Carbondale, IL: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Carbondale, IL

$554 31.5% 82.2% $2.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Carbondale, IL

$396 22.5% 28.3% $156

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Carbondale, IL

$288 16.4% 29.2% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Carbondale, IL

$346 19.7% 5.1% $19

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Carbondale, IL

$141 8% 17.1% $29

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Carbondale, IL

$9 * 0.5% 94.7% $159

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Carbondale, IL

$24 * 1.4% 84.9% $134

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 $656 in Carbondale, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 38% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $120 in New York, NY vs $38.00 in Carbondale, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $396 per month, with Carbondale, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Carbondale, IL

🕒 Local time

21:46 9:46 PM

20:46 8:46 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

24,881

💱 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 Carbondale, IL 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Carbondale, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 181% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Carbondale, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 38% higher in New York, NY, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,347 in New York, NY versus $656 in Carbondale, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $4,938 per month in New York, NY versus $1,759 in Carbondale, IL – a 181% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,759 in Carbondale, IL versus $4,938 in New York, NY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Carbondale, IL but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Carbondale, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Carbondale, IL delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,759 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Carbondale, IL hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Carbondale, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 181% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.