Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Elgin, IL: $1,057 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $46,600 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Elgin, IL
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Elgin, IL Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Elgin, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,057

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $1,057 in Elgin, IL.

New York, NY $4,941
Elgin, IL $1,057

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $2,633 in Elgin, IL.

New York, NY $7,225
Elgin, IL $2,633

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $4,209 in Elgin, IL.

New York, NY $9,509
Elgin, IL $4,209

Living in New York, NY is roughly 368% more expensive than in Elgin, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: New York, NY is 263% above, Elgin, IL is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$20.39 $20.39

40.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$59.1 $59.1

100.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$9.94 $9.94

51.31%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$4.08 $4.08

60.05%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.06 $3.06

29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.04 $2.04

47.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.98 $5.98

36.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$4.88 $4.88

101.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.87 $0.87

57.47%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.52 $3.52

41.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.15 $4.15

88.19%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.64 $3.64

64.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.13 $11.13

69.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$13.06 $13.06

38.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$11.98 $11.98

59.02%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.47 $4.47

51.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.33 $1.33

70.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$2.53 $2.53

169.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.04 $4.04

75.50%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.00 $2.00

111.00%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.01 $2.01

131.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.78 $1.78

61.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.40 $2.40

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$10.58 $10.58

77.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.75 $15.75

27.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.71 $2.71

27.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.54 $3.54

13.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.05 $4.05

-23.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.04 $2.04

3.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$27.57 $27.57

52.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.04 $1.04

12.50%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$31.2K $31.2K

10.60%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

0.25%

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

$219 $219

$98.8 $98.8

122.10%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$53.3 $53.3

39.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$49.92 $49.92

40.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$15.10 $15.10

46.62%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,656 $1,656

114.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$23.4K $23.4K

165.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$40.64 $40.64

86.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$50.3 $50.3

1.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$99.6 $99.6

23.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$120 $120

16.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,162 $2,162

336.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,820 $1,820

185.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,201 $2,201

722.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,268 $2,268

195.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,966 $3,966

31.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.69

2.54%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Elgin, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Elgin, IL

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Elgin, IL

$368 34.9% 34.6% $195

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Elgin, IL

$302 28.6% 31.4% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Elgin, IL

$202 19.1% 44.5% $162

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Elgin, IL

$140 13.2% 20.3% $36

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Elgin, IL

$14 * 1.4% 91.3% $150

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Elgin, IL

$30 * 2.9% 80.7% $126

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

Cost Breakdown

New York, NY pays 32% 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: $118 in New York, NY vs $59 in Elgin, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $368 per month, with Elgin, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Elgin, IL

🕒 Local time

03:12 3:12 AM

02:12 2:12 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

112,603

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

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

Elgin, IL is about 79% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% 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.

Childcare runs $3,558 in New York, NY versus $1,656 in Elgin, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Elgin, IL – a meal for two runs $59 versus $118 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,057 in Elgin, IL versus $4,941 in New York, NY, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elgin, IL but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Elgin, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Elgin, IL wins on affordability, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.