Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Spring Valley, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Spring Valley, IL: $2,937 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

New York, NY, United States
Spring Valley, IL, United States
New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,941
/mo nomad
Spring Valley, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,937
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,937 in Spring Valley, IL, rent included.

  • New York, NY $4,941
  • Spring Valley, IL $2,937

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,026 in Spring Valley, IL, rent included.

  • New York, NY $7,225
  • Spring Valley, IL $4,026

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $5,115 in Spring Valley, IL, rent included.

  • New York, NY $9,509
  • Spring Valley, IL $5,115

New York, NY costs about 68% more than Spring Valley, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Spring Valley, IL sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Spring Valley, IL by 116%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New York, NY
Spring Valley, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$28.55 $28.55
$19.63 $19.63
45.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$118 $118
$68.0 $68.0
74.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.04 $15.04
$13.13 $13.13
14.55%
Cappuccino
$6.53 $6.53
$5.64 $5.64
15.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.96 $3.96
$3.06 $3.06
29.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 $3.01
$2.44 $2.44
23.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.16 $8.16
$7.04 $7.04
15.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.84 $9.84
$8.04 $8.04
22.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
Spring Valley, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.37 $1.37
$0.94 $0.94
45.74%
White Bread (500g)
$4.97 $4.97
$3.52 $3.52
41.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.81 $7.81
$4.14 $4.14
88.65%
Eggs
$5.97 $5.97
$3.78 $3.78
57.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.91 $18.91
$15.08 $15.08
25.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$18.04 $18.04
$13.26 $13.26
36.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.05 $19.05
$20.60 $20.60
-7.52%
Apples (1kg)
$6.76 $6.76
$4.85 $4.85
39.38%
Banana (1kg)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.64 $1.64
38.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.83 $6.83
$5.26 $5.26
29.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.09 $7.09
$4.78 $4.78
48.33%
Potato (1kg)
$4.22 $4.22
$2.89 $2.89
46.02%
Onion (1kg)
$4.65 $4.65
$2.96 $2.96
57.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.87 $2.87
$2.16 $2.16
32.87%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.60 $2.60
$2.33 $2.33
11.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.77 $18.77
$10.68 $10.68
75.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.13 $20.13
$15.63 $15.63
28.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.45 $3.45
$2.63 $2.63
31.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02 $4.02
$4.34 $4.34
-7.37%
🚌 Getting Around
New York, NY
Spring Valley, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.91 $2.91
$2.03 $2.03
43.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$139 $139
$60.4 $60.4
129.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 $3.08
$4.11 $4.11
-25.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.12 $2.12
$1.95 $1.95
8.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.96 $41.96
$44.44 $44.44
-5.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 $1.17
$1.01 $1.01
15.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K $34.5K
$30.8K $30.8K
11.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K $25.9K
$26.1K $26.1K
-1.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
Spring Valley, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$266 $266
-17.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$74.2 $74.2
$53.2 $53.2
39.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.2 $70.2
$82.5 $82.5
-14.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
Spring Valley, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$112 $112
$40.68 $40.68
175.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$74.9 $74.9
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$22.14 $22.14
$14.98 $14.98
47.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New York, NY
Spring Valley, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,558 $3,558
$1,615 $1,615
120.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$62.2K $62.2K
$23.8K $23.8K
160.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
Spring Valley, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.6 $75.6
$65.2 $65.2
15.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.2 $51.2
$51.5 $51.5
-0.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$123 $123
$108 $108
14.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 $140
$124 $124
13.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
Spring Valley, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,499 $4,499
$1,572 $1,572
186.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,078 $3,078
$1,455 $1,455
111.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$9,447 $9,447
$2,917 $2,917
223.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,190 $5,190
$1,995 $1,995
160.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.1K $18.1K
$2,512 $2,512
620.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,693 $6,693
$2,039 $2,039
228.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
New York, NY
Spring Valley, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,220 $5,220
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.86
6.69
2.54%

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 Spring Valley, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
$3.1K
Spring Valley, IL
$1.5K 52.7% $1.6K
Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
$563
Spring Valley, IL
$433 23.1% $130
Eating Out
New York, NY
$440
Spring Valley, IL
$337 23.4% $103
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
$364
Spring Valley, IL
$402 10.5% $38
Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
$175
Spring Valley, IL
$157 10.8% $19
Getting Around
New York, NY
$164
Spring Valley, IL
$82 49.8% $82
Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
$156
Spring Valley, IL
$71 54.8% $86

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,572 in Spring Valley, 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 $118 in New York, NY versus $68 in Spring Valley, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $433 – making Spring Valley, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🇺🇸 Spring Valley, IL
🕒 Local time
17:22 5:22 PM
16:22 4:22 PM
1 h behind New York, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,804,190
33,066
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • New York, NY Spring Valley, IL 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • New York, NY
  • Spring Valley, 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 Spring Valley, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, New York, NY or Spring Valley, IL?
New York, NY costs about 68% more than Spring Valley, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in New York, NY and in Spring Valley, IL?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $4,405 in Spring Valley, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, New York, NY or Spring Valley, IL?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Spring Valley, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,572 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.
How do childcare costs compare in New York, NY and in Spring Valley, IL?
Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,615 in Spring Valley, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in New York, NY or in Spring Valley, IL?
Groceries cost about 30% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $2,500/month in New York, NY or in Spring Valley, IL?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,937 in Spring Valley, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Spring Valley, IL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Spring Valley, IL is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 41% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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