Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Springfield, IL: $2,270 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $32,100 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Springfield, IL
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Springfield, IL Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Springfield, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,270 in Springfield, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Springfield, IL $2,270

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,350 in Springfield, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Springfield, IL $3,350

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,429 in Springfield, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Springfield, IL $4,429

New York, NY costs about 118% more than Springfield, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New York, NY and Springfield, IL sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Springfield, IL by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$14.25 $14.25

100.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$43.25 $43.25

173.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$9.84 $9.84

52.85%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.28 $5.28

23.67%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$1.94 $1.94

104.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.55 $1.55

94.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$2.96 $2.96

175.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$3.91 $3.91

151.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.75 $0.75

82.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.30 $3.30

50.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$8.96 $8.96

-12.83%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.07 $3.07

94.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$19.30 $19.30

-2.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$17.20 $17.20

4.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$32.10 $32.10

-40.65%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$8.29 $8.29

-18.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.27 $1.27

78.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$8.96 $8.96

-23.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.82 $5.82

21.82%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.14 $3.14

34.39%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.62 $4.62

0.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.87 $1.87

53.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.61 $1.61

61.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$10.78 $10.78

74.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$10.96 $10.96

83.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.29 $1.29

167.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.56 $1.56

157.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.21 $1.21

140.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$40.30 $40.30

244.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$5.67 $5.67

-45.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.05 $1.05

101.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$18.17 $18.17

130.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.97 $0.97

20.62%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.4K $27.4K

25.82%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.3K $27.3K

-5.37%

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

$219 $219

$229 $229

-4.31%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$95.2 $95.2

-21.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$63.8 $63.8

10.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$32.48 $32.48

244.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$19.91 $19.91

275.99%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$12.62 $12.62

75.44%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$962 $962

269.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$105 $105

-28.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$54.9 $54.9

-6.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$124 $124

-0.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$138 $138

1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$940 $940

378.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$815 $815

277.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$1,903 $1,903

396.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,339 $1,339

287.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$1,456 $1,456

1143.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,143 $1,143

485.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,009 $4,009

30.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.55

4.73%

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 Springfield, 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%

Springfield, IL

$815 35.9% 73.5% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Springfield, IL

$520 22.9% 7.7% $43

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Springfield, IL

$244 10.7% 44.7% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Springfield, IL

$388 17.1% 6.7% $24

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Springfield, IL

$190 8.4% 8.2% $14

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Springfield, IL

$56 2.5% 65.9% $108

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Springfield, IL

$58 2.5% 63.1% $99

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $940 in Springfield, 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 30% 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 $118 in New York, NY versus $43 in Springfield, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $520 – making Springfield, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Springfield, IL

🕒 Local time

19:00 7:00 PM

18:00 6:00 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

116,482

💱 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 Springfield, IL 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

New York, NY costs about 118% more than Springfield, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $3,406 in Springfield, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Springfield, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $940 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $962 in Springfield, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,270 in Springfield, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Springfield, 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 Springfield, 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.