Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Des Plaines, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Des Plaines, IL: $3,073 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
146

Cost of Living Index in Des Plaines, IL
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Des Plaines, IL Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,073

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $5,142 in New York, NY versus $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL.

New York, NY $5,142
Des Plaines, IL $3,073

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,455 in New York, NY versus $4,412 in Des Plaines, IL.

New York, NY $7,455
Des Plaines, IL $4,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,767 in New York, NY versus $5,750 in Des Plaines, IL.

New York, NY $9,767
Des Plaines, IL $5,750

Living in New York, NY is roughly 67% more expensive than in Des Plaines, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 284% above, Des Plaines, IL 129% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$20.88 $20.88

26.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$89.5 $89.5

32.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$12.87 $12.87

12.12%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$5.65 $5.65

15.93%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.59 $2.59

48.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.32 $2.32

29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$6.95 $6.95

18.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$8.02 $8.02

25.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$0.95 $0.95

37.89%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.49 $3.49

40.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$4.23 $4.23

69.27%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$4.16 $4.16

42.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$14.67 $14.67

29.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$13.02 $13.02

33.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$18.95 $18.95

-0.05%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$4.75 $4.75

46.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.63 $1.63

27.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$4.16 $4.16

46.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$4.82 $4.82

44.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.66 $2.66

49.62%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.74 $2.74

62.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.15 $2.15

30.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.41 $2.41

4.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$10.65 $10.65

80.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$14.86 $14.86

32.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.55 $2.55

20.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.53 $3.53

4.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.02 $2.02

49.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$60.8 $60.8

129.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.17 $3.17

-3.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.37 $1.37

55.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$24.93 $24.93

65.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.05 $1.05

5.71%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$35.9K $35.9K

-2.59%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$24.8K $24.8K

2.30%

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

$217 $217

$195 $195

11.57%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$60.5 $60.5

22.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$77.2 $77.2

-6.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$125 $125

-3.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$40.72 $40.72

64.27%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$15.16 $15.16

47.23%

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

$3,425 $3,425

$1,545 $1,545

121.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$23.5K $23.5K

160.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$65.3 $65.3

16.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$51.0 $51.0

8.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$101 $101

18.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$123 $123

6.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$2,093 $2,093

115.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$1,521 $1,521

107.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$3,861 $3,861

128.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$2,536 $2,536

118.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$3,174 $3,174

510.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$2,521 $2,521

167.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$6,220 $6,220

-14.96%

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 3, 2026

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Des Plaines, IL

$1.5K 50.6% 51.8% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Des Plaines, IL

$419 14% 23.3% $127

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Des Plaines, IL

$344 11.5% 18.6% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Des Plaines, IL

$333 11.1% 8.6% $31

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Des Plaines, IL

$153 5.1% 11% $19

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Des Plaines, IL

$79 2.6% 52.3% $86

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Des Plaines, IL

$155 5.2% 6.1% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,506 in New York, NY and $2,093 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Plaines, IL pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $119 in New York, NY vs $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $419 per month, with Des Plaines, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

19:41 7:41 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

60,675

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

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

New York, NY and Des Plaines, IL differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($5,142 vs $3,073 including rent). Des Plaines, IL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Des Plaines, IL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,506 in New York, NY versus $2,093 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Des Plaines, IL – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $119 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Des Plaines, IL is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Des Plaines, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.