Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ottawa, IL: $2,495 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $29,400 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa, IL
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Ottawa, IL Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Ottawa, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,495

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,495 in Ottawa, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Ottawa, IL $2,495

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,579 in Ottawa, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Ottawa, IL $3,579

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,663 in Ottawa, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Ottawa, IL $4,663

New York, NY costs about 98% more than Ottawa, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Ottawa, IL sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Ottawa, IL by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$14.87 $14.87

92.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$59.8 $59.8

97.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$9.81 $9.81

53.31%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$4.79 $4.79

36.33%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.17 $2.17

82.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.79 $1.79

68.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.47 $5.47

49.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$5.36 $5.36

83.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.78 $0.78

75.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.11 $3.11

59.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$3.00 $3.00

160.33%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.85 $3.85

55.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.28 $12.28

53.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$5.99 $5.99

201.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$12.40 $12.40

53.63%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$3.53 $3.53

91.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.44 $1.44

57.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.22 $3.22

112.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.36 $4.36

62.61%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.02 $2.02

108.91%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.26 $2.26

105.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.20 $2.20

30.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.22 $1.22

113.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$12.39 $12.39

51.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.80 $14.80

36.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.16 $2.16

59.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.92 $3.92

2.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.92 $1.92

51.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$63.2 $63.2

119.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.48 $2.48

24.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.58 $1.58

34.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$28.24 $28.24

48.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.12 $1.12

4.46%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

27.24%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.1K $27.1K

-4.73%

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

$219 $219

$241 $241

-8.80%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$45.26 $45.26

64.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$68.2 $68.2

2.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$36.92 $36.92

203.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$26.55 $26.55

181.96%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$11.43 $11.43

93.70%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,012 $1,012

251.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$19.8K $19.8K

213.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$49.00 $49.00

54.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$44.39 $44.39

15.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$118 $118

4.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$121 $121

15.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,494 $1,494

201.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,276 $1,276

141.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,510 $2,510

276.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,088 $2,088

148.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$3,189 $3,189

467.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,643 $2,643

153.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$2,383 $2,383

119.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.82

0.59%

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 Ottawa, IL: 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%

Ottawa, IL

$1.3K 51.2% 58.5% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Ottawa, IL

$314 12.6% 44.3% $249

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Ottawa, IL

$260 10.4% 41% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Ottawa, IL

$354 14.2% 2.7% $9.8

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Ottawa, IL

$150 6% 14.6% $26

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Ottawa, IL

$81 3.3% 50.6% $83

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Ottawa, IL

$60 2.4% 61.7% $96

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,494 in Ottawa, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in New York, NY are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $60 in Ottawa, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $314 – making Ottawa, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Ottawa, IL

🕒 Local time

18:59 6:59 PM

17:59 5:59 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

18,342

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Ottawa, IL 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

New York, NY costs about 98% more than Ottawa, 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 $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $3,742 in Ottawa, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ottawa, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,494 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,012 in Ottawa, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 80% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Ottawa, IL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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