Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Rockford, IL: $2,176 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $32,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Rockford, IL
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Rockford, IL Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Rockford, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,176

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $2,176 in Rockford, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
Rockford, IL $2,176

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,485 in Rockford, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Rockford, IL $3,485

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $4,795 in Rockford, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
Rockford, IL $4,795

New York, NY costs about 125% more than Rockford, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Rockford, IL sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Rockford, IL by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$15.58 $15.58

72.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$76.3 $76.3

53.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$9.65 $9.65

51.30%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.08 $5.08

28.74%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$2.76 $2.76

39.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.02 $2.02

46.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$4.48 $4.48

80.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$7.10 $7.10

38.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$0.82 $0.82

59.76%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.59 $3.59

38.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$5.11 $5.11

50.68%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$2.92 $2.92

108.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$10.19 $10.19

91.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$13.69 $13.69

28.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$17.03 $17.03

18.97%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$5.03 $5.03

38.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.52 $1.52

45.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$3.75 $3.75

79.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$5.25 $5.25

35.62%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.47 $2.47

86.64%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.61 $2.61

83.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.22 $2.22

29.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.94 $1.94

38.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$10.57 $10.57

81.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$15.73 $15.73

24.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.04 $2.04

62.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.88 $1.88

122.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$55.7 $55.7

150.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.76 $2.76

10.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.58 $1.58

39.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$21.16 $21.16

95.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.99 $0.99

14.14%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.0K $34.0K

1.35%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.98%

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

$232 $232

$188 $188

23.85%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$45.31 $45.31

56.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$71.7 $71.7

-5.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$41.86 $41.86

175.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$25.37 $25.37

202.76%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$14.00 $14.00

60.07%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$516 $516

598.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$4,061 $4,061

1591.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$46.05 $46.05

72.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$34.68 $34.68

48.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$95.0 $95.0

27.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$113 $113

24.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,292 $1,292

252.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$943 $943

222.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$2,355 $2,355

313.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$2,040 $2,040

161.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$1,452 $1,452

1154.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$1,439 $1,439

364.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$3,408 $3,408

49.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.49

6.16%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Rockford, IL: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Rockford, IL

$943 43.3% 69% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Rockford, IL

$392 18% 30.9% $175

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Rockford, IL

$270 12.4% 36.4% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Rockford, IL

$305 14% 17.9% $66

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Rockford, IL

$130 6% 26.4% $47

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Rockford, IL

$66 * 3.1% 59.9% $99

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Rockford, IL

$70 3.2% 56.4% $90

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,292 in Rockford, 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 50% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY versus $76 in Rockford, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $392 – making Rockford, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Rockford, IL

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

04:29 4:29 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

148,655

💱 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 Rockford, IL 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

New York, NY costs about 125% more than Rockford, 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 $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $3,264 in Rockford, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rockford, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,292 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,606 per month in New York, NY and $516 in Rockford, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Rockford, IL, where all-in costs run around $2,176, than in New York, NY at $4,906. In Rockford, 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 Rockford, 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 Rockford, 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.