Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Rock Island, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Rock Island, IL: $2,664 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,300 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
132

Cost of Living Index in Rock Island, IL
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Rock Island, IL Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Rock Island, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,664

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $2,664 in Rock Island, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
Rock Island, IL $2,664

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,843 in Rock Island, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Rock Island, IL $3,843

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $5,023 in Rock Island, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
Rock Island, IL $5,023

New York, NY costs about 85% more than Rock Island, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and Rock Island, IL sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, Rock Island, IL by 97%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$20.07 $20.07

24.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$67.2 $67.2

79.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$12.84 $12.84

7.01%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.90 $5.90

11.86%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$3.14 $3.14

21.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.40 $2.40

19.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$7.08 $7.08

12.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$7.97 $7.97

26.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.94 $0.94

45.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.51 $3.51

35.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$4.23 $4.23

81.80%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$3.71 $3.71

58.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$15.09 $15.09

27.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$13.15 $13.15

35.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$20.09 $20.09

-5.28%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$4.73 $4.73

41.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.63 $1.63

40.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$5.15 $5.15

24.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$4.79 $4.79

40.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.80 $2.80

40.36%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.13 $3.13

44.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.16 $2.16

29.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.42 $2.42

3.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$10.72 $10.72

68.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$15.51 $15.51

29.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.66 $2.66

22.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.36 $4.36

-13.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.82 $1.82

60.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.96 $3.96

-22.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.99 $1.99

8.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$44.24 $44.24

-6.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.00 $1.00

12.00%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$31.2K $31.2K

6.24%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.6K $25.6K

0.33%

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

$219 $219

$267 $267

-17.84%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$52.3 $52.3

44.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$80.6 $80.6

-12.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$45.16 $45.16

155.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$15.12 $15.12

41.34%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,719 $1,719

99.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$23.8K $23.8K

159.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$64.5 $64.5

16.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$50.9 $50.9

2.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$108 $108

8.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$120 $120

12.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,812 $1,812

139.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,239 $1,239

151.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,614 $2,614

248.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$2,021 $2,021

166.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,912 $2,912

562.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,284 $2,284

203.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.69

2.39%

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 Rock Island, IL: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Rock Island, IL

$1.2K 46.5% 60.3% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Rock Island, IL

$431 16.2% 22% $121

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Rock Island, IL

$343 12.9% 15.6% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Rock Island, IL

$400 15% 9.5% $35

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Rock Island, IL

$154 5.8% 9.4% $16

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Rock Island, IL

$21 * 0.8% 87.4% $147

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Rock Island, IL

$75 2.8% 52.4% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,812 in Rock Island, 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 $67.0 in Rock Island, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $431 – making Rock Island, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Rock Island, IL

🕒 Local time

21:51 9:51 PM

20:51 8:51 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

37,108

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Rock Island, IL 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

New York, NY costs about 85% more than Rock Island, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $3,995 in Rock Island, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,664 in Rock Island, IL. That's a gap of about 85%.

Kindergarten costs $3,432 per month in New York, NY and $1,719 in Rock Island, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,664 in Rock Island, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rock Island, IL costs $2,664 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 Rock Island, 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.