Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Effingham, IL: $2,500 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $29,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Effingham, IL
Learn more

Effingham, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Effingham, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $2,500 in Effingham, IL.

New York, NY $4,938
Effingham, IL $2,500

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $3,556 in Effingham, IL.

New York, NY $7,273
Effingham, IL $3,556

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $4,612 in Effingham, IL.

New York, NY $9,608
Effingham, IL $4,612

Living in New York, NY is roughly 98% more expensive than in Effingham, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Effingham, IL 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$15.06 $15.06

65.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$44.89 $44.89

167.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$11.95 $11.95

14.98%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.53 $5.53

19.35%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$3.21 $3.21

19.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.66 $2.66

7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$5.05 $5.05

57.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$7.04 $7.04

42.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.89 $0.89

53.93%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.40 $3.40

39.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.48 $4.48

71.65%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$3.67 $3.67

59.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$12.49 $12.49

54.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$10.81 $10.81

64.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$16.77 $16.77

13.48%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$5.72 $5.72

16.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.45 $1.45

57.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$4.72 $4.72

35.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$4.37 $4.37

54.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.23 $2.23

76.23%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.08 $1.08

318.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.45 $2.45

13.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.43 $2.43

3.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$10.84 $10.84

66.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$11.88 $11.88

69.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.00 $2.00

63.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.64 $3.64

3.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.84 $1.84

58.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.95 $1.95

56.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.76 $1.76

22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$33.78 $33.78

22.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.99 $0.99

13.13%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$30.1K $30.1K

10.09%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.2K $26.2K

-1.85%

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

$219 $219

$229 $229

-4.41%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$44.95 $44.95

67.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$65.4 $65.4

7.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$41.33 $41.33

179.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$14.98 $14.98

42.66%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,729 $1,729

98.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$24.1K $24.1K

155.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$45.09 $45.09

66.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$35.03 $35.03

48.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$85.7 $85.7

36.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$65.2 $65.2

106.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,628 $1,628

167.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,297 $1,297

140.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,487 $2,487

266.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$2,146 $2,146

150.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,804 $2,804

587.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,326 $2,326

198.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.57

4.26%

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 Effingham, IL: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Effingham, IL

$1.3K 51.9% 58.4% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Effingham, IL

$384 15.4% 30.4% $168

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Effingham, IL

$285 11.4% 29.9% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Effingham, IL

$340 13.6% 6.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Effingham, IL

$104 4.2% 39% $66

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Effingham, IL

$18 * 0.7% 89.2% $150

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Effingham, IL

$71 2.9% 54.9% $87

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 $1,628 in Effingham, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $120 in New York, NY vs $45.00 in Effingham, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $384 per month, with Effingham, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Effingham, IL

🕒 Local time

23:15 11:15 PM

22:15 10:15 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

12,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Effingham, IL 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

New York, NY and Effingham, IL differ by about 98% in total monthly costs ($4,938 vs $2,500 including rent). Effingham, 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 $3,750 in Effingham, 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 $1,628 in Effingham, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% 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 $2,500 in Effingham, IL – a 98% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Effingham, 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 Effingham, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.