Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Decatur, IL: $1,725 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $38,700 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Decatur, IL
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Decatur, IL Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Decatur, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,950 per month in New York, NY vs $1,725 in Decatur, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $4,950
Decatur, IL $1,725

A couple spends around $7,265 per month in New York, NY vs $2,654 in Decatur, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $7,265
Decatur, IL $2,654

A family of three spends $9,581 per month in New York, NY vs $3,582 in Decatur, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $9,581
Decatur, IL $3,582

New York, NY costs about 187% more than Decatur, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Decatur, IL sit above the global median – New York, NY by 267%, Decatur, IL by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$19.96 $19.96

23.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$83.4 $83.4

45.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$8.74 $8.74

59.15%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.41 $5.41

21.81%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.24 $2.24

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.66 $1.66

72.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$5.02 $5.02

55.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$6.12 $6.12

60.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.34 $1.34

2.99%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.06 $3.06

52.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$2.03 $2.03

271.43%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$4.74 $4.74

25.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$13.87 $13.87

35.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$14.86 $14.86

16.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$13.08 $13.08

41.51%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.31 $4.31

56.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.02 $2.02

3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.03 $4.03

50.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$3.27 $3.27

106.12%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$0.91 $0.91

345.05%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.09 $1.09

300.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.48 $1.48

95.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$3.07 $3.07

-15.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$15.87 $15.87

17.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$14.81 $14.81

35.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.20 $2.20

47.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$1.99 $1.99

87.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.17 $3.17

-4.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.42 $1.42

51.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

$25.28 $25.28

65.43%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

-4.06%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.5K $25.5K

2.08%

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

$219 $219

$85.6 $85.6

155.76%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$67.2 $67.2

8.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$60.2 $60.2

19.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$74.7 $74.7

64.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$11.82 $11.82

93.32%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$1,525 $1,525

118.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$32.0K $32.0K

87.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$68.1 $68.1

10.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$51.5 $51.5

1.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$101 $101

19.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$144 $144

-7.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$867 $867

406.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$551 $551

467.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$993 $993

798.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$805 $805

565.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$940 $940

1963.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$941 $941

623.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$4,599 $4,599

16.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.77

0.74%

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 Decatur, 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%

Decatur, IL

$551 31.9% 82.4% $2.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Decatur, IL

$385 22.3% 29.4% $160

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Decatur, IL

$304 17.6% 24.7% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Decatur, IL

$213 12.3% 41.5% $151

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Decatur, IL

$164 9.5% 4.6% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Decatur, IL

$98 5.7% 41.6% $70

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Decatur, IL

$10 * 0.6% 93.8% $156

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 $867 in Decatur, 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 16% 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 $83.0 in Decatur, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $545 vs $385 – making Decatur, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Decatur, IL

🕒 Local time

20:32 8:32 PM

19:32 7:32 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

77,047

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Decatur, IL 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 187%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,424 per month in New York, NY and $2,588 in Decatur, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in New York, NY and $83.0 in Decatur, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% 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 $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Decatur, IL, where all-in costs run around $1,725, than in New York, NY at $4,950. In Decatur, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Decatur, 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 Decatur, 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.