Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Merrillville, IN

For one person, living is cheaper in Merrillville, IN: $2,522 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $29,000 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Merrillville, IN
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Merrillville, IN Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Merrillville, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Merrillville, IN

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 Merrillville, IN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $2,522 in Merrillville, IN.

New York, NY $4,941
Merrillville, IN $2,522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $3,513 in Merrillville, IN.

New York, NY $7,225
Merrillville, IN $3,513

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $4,505 in Merrillville, IN.

New York, NY $9,509
Merrillville, IN $4,505

Living in New York, NY is roughly 96% more expensive than in Merrillville, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Merrillville, IN 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$14.98 $14.98

90.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$55.8 $55.8

112.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$9.94 $9.94

51.31%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$4.48 $4.48

45.76%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.27 $2.27

74.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.22 $2.22

35.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$4.40 $4.40

85.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$5.96 $5.96

65.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.73 $0.73

87.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.19 $3.19

55.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.72 $4.72

65.47%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.72 $4.72

26.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.08 $11.08

70.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$9.40 $9.40

91.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$22.23 $22.23

-14.30%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.78 $5.78

16.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.12 $1.12

102.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.39 $4.39

55.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.68 $5.68

24.82%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.57 $3.57

18.21%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.34 $4.34

7.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.44 $2.44

17.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.22 $1.22

113.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.07 $11.07

69.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$11.88 $11.88

69.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.99 $1.99

73.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.46 $3.46

16.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.75 $1.75

66.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$67.2 $67.2

106.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.91 $4.91

-37.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.81 $1.81

17.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$50.1 $50.1

-16.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.92 $0.92

27.17%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.3K $27.3K

26.45%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.0K $26.0K

-0.53%

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

$219 $219

$233 $233

-5.97%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$50.5 $50.5

46.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$59.8 $59.8

17.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$37.20 $37.20

200.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.85 $14.85

49.09%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,353 $1,353

162.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$23.8K $23.8K

161.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$53.2 $53.2

42.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.27 $40.27

27.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$109 $109

13.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$95.5 $95.5

46.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,400 $1,400

221.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,244 $1,244

147.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,523 $2,523

274.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,796 $1,796

189.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,837 $2,837

538.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,031 $2,031

229.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.53

5.05%

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 Merrillville, IN: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Merrillville, IN

$1.2K 49.3% 59.6% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Merrillville, IN

$390 15.5% 30.8% $173

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Merrillville, IN

$255 10.1% 42% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Merrillville, IN

$344 13.6% 5.6% $20

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Merrillville, IN

$134 5.3% 23.6% $41

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Merrillville, IN

$88 3.5% 46.3% $76

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Merrillville, IN

$67 2.7% 57.2% $89

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $1,400 in Merrillville, IN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $118 in New York, NY vs $56 in Merrillville, IN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $390 per month, with Merrillville, IN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Merrillville, IN

🕒 Local time

10:26 10:26 AM

09:26 9:26 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

36,444

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Merrillville, IN 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Merrillville, IN

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 Merrillville, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY and Merrillville, IN differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($4,941 vs $2,522 including rent). Merrillville, IN is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $7,412 in New York, NY and $3,783 in Merrillville, IN 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: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,400 in Merrillville, IN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,558 in New York, NY versus $1,353 in Merrillville, IN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,522 in Merrillville, IN versus $4,941 in New York, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Merrillville, IN but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Merrillville, IN 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.

Expats usually find Merrillville, IN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.