Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Oak Lawn, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Oak Lawn, IL: $2,586 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $28,200 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
119

Cost of Living Index in Oak Lawn, IL
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Oak Lawn, IL Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Oak Lawn, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $2,586 in Oak Lawn, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
Oak Lawn, IL $2,586

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,492 in Oak Lawn, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Oak Lawn, IL $3,492

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $4,398 in Oak Lawn, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
Oak Lawn, IL $4,398

New York, NY costs about 91% more than Oak Lawn, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Oak Lawn, IL sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, Oak Lawn, IL by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$15.26 $15.26

63.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$62.8 $62.8

91.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$7.77 $7.77

76.83%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.43 $5.43

21.55%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.16 $2.16

76.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.13 $1.13

153.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$5.14 $5.14

54.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$5.15 $5.15

95.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.93 $0.93

47.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.37 $2.37

100.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$3.41 $3.41

125.51%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$3.76 $3.76

56.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$11.16 $11.16

72.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$8.61 $8.61

107.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$13.18 $13.18

44.39%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$3.25 $3.25

105.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.95 $1.95

17.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$3.26 $3.26

96.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$3.29 $3.29

105.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.15 $2.15

82.79%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.11 $1.11

307.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.06 $2.06

35.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.04 $2.04

23.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$9.87 $9.87

83.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$9.96 $9.96

102.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.06 $2.06

58.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.32 $3.32

12.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.05 $2.05

42.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

$49.95 $49.95

185.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$5.38 $5.38

-43.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.82 $2.82

-23.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$17.46 $17.46

136.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$15.9K $15.9K

108.53%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$27.0K $27.0K

-4.91%

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

$219 $219

$220 $220

-0.29%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$53.0 $53.0

42.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$66.1 $66.1

6.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$42.21 $42.21

173.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$20.35 $20.35

5.01%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,336 $1,336

156.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$12.6K $12.6K

387.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$47.58 $47.58

57.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$25.39 $25.39

105.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$58.0 $58.0

101.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$50.8 $50.8

165.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,601 $1,601

171.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,432 $1,432

117.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,851 $2,851

219.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$1,945 $1,945

176.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,575 $2,575

648.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,733 $2,733

154.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.82

0.44%

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 Oak Lawn, IL: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Oak Lawn, IL

$1.4K 55.4% 54.1% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Oak Lawn, IL

$313 12.1% 43.2% $239

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Oak Lawn, IL

$260 10% 36.2% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Oak Lawn, IL

$339 13.1% 7.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Oak Lawn, IL

$82 3.2% 52% $88

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Oak Lawn, IL

$78 3% 53.9% $91

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Oak Lawn, IL

$83 3.2% 47.6% $75

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,601 in Oak Lawn, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in New York, NY versus $63.0 in Oak Lawn, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $313 – making Oak Lawn, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Oak Lawn, IL

🕒 Local time

23:57 11:57 PM

22:57 10:57 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

58,362

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

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

New York, NY costs about 91% more than Oak Lawn, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,407 per month in New York, NY and $3,879 in Oak Lawn, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oak Lawn, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $3,432 per month in New York, NY and $1,336 in Oak Lawn, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 76% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,586 in Oak Lawn, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Oak Lawn, IL costs $2,586 versus $4,938 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Oak Lawn, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.