Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Evanston, IL: $2,572 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $28,400 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Evanston, IL
Learn more

Evanston, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Evanston, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,572

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,572 in Evanston, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Evanston, IL $2,572

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,469 in Evanston, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Evanston, IL $4,469

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $6,366 in Evanston, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Evanston, IL $6,366

New York, NY costs about 92% more than Evanston, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Evanston, IL sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Evanston, IL by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$20.30 $20.30

40.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$85.2 $85.2

38.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.82 $12.82

17.32%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.83 $5.83

12.01%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.71 $2.71

46.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.24 $2.24

34.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$6.98 $6.98

16.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.88 $7.88

24.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.04 $1.04

31.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.73 $3.73

33.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.27 $4.27

82.90%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.58 $4.58

30.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.66 $13.66

38.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$14.34 $14.34

25.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.96 $19.96

-4.56%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.23 $5.23

29.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.62 $1.62

40.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.86 $3.86

76.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.00 $5.00

41.80%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.77 $2.77

52.35%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.94 $2.94

58.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.08 $2.08

37.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.37 $2.37

9.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$10.83 $10.83

73.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.24 $15.24

32.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.67 $2.67

29.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.34 $3.34

20.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.46 $2.46

18.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$75.2 $75.2

84.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.02 $4.02

-23.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.42 $1.42

49.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$44.50 $44.50

-5.71%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

14.89%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.3K $25.3K

2.04%

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

$219 $219

$194 $194

12.89%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$60.4 $60.4

22.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$74.0 $74.0

-5.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$75.0 $75.0

49.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$59.6 $59.6

25.63%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.74 $14.74

50.20%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,646 $1,646

116.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$31.6K $31.6K

96.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$63.6 $63.6

18.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$50.1 $50.1

2.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$108 $108

13.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$127 $127

10.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,688 $1,688

166.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,111 $1,111

177.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$4,000 $4,000

136.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$3,055 $3,055

69.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$14.4K $14.4K

25.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$12.7K $12.7K

-47.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$5,558 $5,558

-6.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.81

0.73%

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 Evanston, 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%

Evanston, IL

$1.1K 43.2% 63.9% $2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Evanston, IL

$433 16.9% 23% $130

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Evanston, IL

$341 13.3% 22.5% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Evanston, IL

$329 12.8% 9.6% $35

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Evanston, IL

$157 6.1% 10.6% $19

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Evanston, IL

$96 3.7% 41.5% $68

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Evanston, IL

$105 4.1% 33.1% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,688 in Evanston, 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 6% higher in Evanston, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $85 in Evanston, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $433 – making Evanston, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Evanston, IL

🕒 Local time

18:23 6:23 PM

17:23 5:23 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

74,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Evanston, IL 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY, $2,572 in Evanston, IL – Evanston, IL comes out roughly 48% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $3,858 in Evanston, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Evanston, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,688 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Groceries cost about 30% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY and $85 in Evanston, 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 Evanston, IL, where all-in costs run around $2,572, than in New York, NY at $4,941. In Evanston, 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 Evanston, IL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Evanston, IL is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 48% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.