Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Champaign, IL: $2,161 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $33,500 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
104

Cost of Living Index in Champaign, IL
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Champaign, IL Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Champaign, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,950 per month in New York, NY vs $2,161 in Champaign, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $4,950
Champaign, IL $2,161

A couple spends around $7,265 per month in New York, NY vs $3,133 in Champaign, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $7,265
Champaign, IL $3,133

A family of three spends $9,581 per month in New York, NY vs $4,106 in Champaign, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $9,581
Champaign, IL $4,106

New York, NY costs about 129% more than Champaign, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Champaign, IL sit above the global median – New York, NY by 267%, Champaign, IL by 60%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$15.25 $15.25

61.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$60.8 $60.8

100.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$10.11 $10.11

37.59%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$4.83 $4.83

36.44%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.15 $2.15

78.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.73 $1.73

65.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$5.57 $5.57

39.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$5.35 $5.35

84.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.85 $0.85

62.35%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.14 $3.14

49.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$3.13 $3.13

140.89%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$3.88 $3.88

52.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$12.19 $12.19

54.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$5.96 $5.96

191.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$12.81 $12.81

44.50%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$3.45 $3.45

95.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.38 $1.38

51.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$3.10 $3.10

95.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.56 $4.56

47.81%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.02 $2.02

100.50%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.23 $2.23

95.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.21 $2.21

30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.25 $1.25

108.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.25 $10.25

82.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$14.71 $14.71

36.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.15 $2.15

51.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$4.08 $4.08

-8.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$0.97 $0.97

215.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$20.38 $20.38

589.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.52 $2.52

20.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.59 $1.59

35.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.16 $1.16

-3.45%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$35.1K $35.1K

0.94%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$32.3K $32.3K

-19.27%

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

$219 $219

$240 $240

-8.72%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$45.66 $45.66

60.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$67.6 $67.6

6.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$25.34 $25.34

384.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

$11.85 $11.85

471.05%

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$11.09 $11.09

106.04%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$993 $993

235.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$19.9K $19.9K

200.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$48.98 $48.98

53.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$116 $116

4.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$122 $122

9.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$1,453 $1,453

201.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$1,016 $1,016

208.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$1,941 $1,941

359.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$1,691 $1,691

216.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$1,688 $1,688

1049.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$1,709 $1,709

298.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$3,674 $3,674

45.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

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 Champaign, IL: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2%

Champaign, IL

$1K 47% 67.5% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Champaign, IL

$316 14.6% 42% $229

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Champaign, IL

$264 12.2% 34.5% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Champaign, IL

$353 16.3% 3% $11

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Champaign, IL

$129 * 6% 25% $43

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Champaign, IL

$48 2.2% 71.8% $121

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Champaign, IL

$35 1.6% 79.1% $132

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,389 in New York, NY versus $1,453 in Champaign, 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 45% 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 $122 in New York, NY versus $61.0 in Champaign, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $545 vs $316 – making Champaign, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Champaign, IL

🕒 Local time

20:32 8:32 PM

19:32 7:32 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

88,302

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,950 in New York, NY, $2,161 in Champaign, IL – roughly 129% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,424 per month in New York, NY and $3,241 in Champaign, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Champaign, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 72% 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in New York, NY and $61.0 in Champaign, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Champaign, IL, where all-in costs run around $2,161, than in New York, NY at $4,950. In Champaign, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,161 in Champaign, IL to $4,950 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Champaign, 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.