Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Urbana, IL: $1,886 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $36,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Urbana, IL
Learn more

Urbana, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Urbana, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $1,886 in Urbana, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
Urbana, IL $1,886

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $2,137 in Urbana, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Urbana, IL $2,137

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $2,388 in Urbana, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
Urbana, IL $2,388

New York, NY costs about 160% more than Urbana, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Urbana, IL sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Urbana, IL by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$14.91 $14.91

80.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$60.0 $60.0

94.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$10.14 $10.14

43.98%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$4.80 $4.80

36.25%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$2.26 $2.26

70.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.72 $1.72

71.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$5.58 $5.58

44.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$5.37 $5.37

83.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$0.85 $0.85

54.12%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.09 $3.09

60.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$3.01 $3.01

155.81%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$3.80 $3.80

60.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$11.97 $11.97

63.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$8.62 $8.62

104.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$14.23 $14.23

42.38%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.07 $4.07

71.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.67 $1.67

32.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$3.25 $3.25

106.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.56 $4.56

56.14%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.18 $2.18

111.47%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.69 $2.69

77.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.27 $2.27

26.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.34 $1.34

100.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$12.30 $12.30

55.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$15.06 $15.06

30.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.15 $2.15

54.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.50 $3.50

19.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.98 $0.98

208.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.64 $0.64

243.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$24.94 $24.94

65.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.11 $1.11

1.80%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.2K $27.2K

26.52%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

-2.16%

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

$232 $232

$238 $238

-2.30%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$45.91 $45.91

54.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$60.6 $60.6

11.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$12.79 $12.79

75.22%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$987 $987

265.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$17.1K $17.1K

301.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$49.14 $49.14

61.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$51.5 $51.5

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$102 $102

18.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$122 $122

15.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$842 $842

440.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$759 $759

300.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$1,761 $1,761

935.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$1,777 $1,777

276.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$6,662 $6,662

-23.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.82

1.03%

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 Urbana, IL: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Urbana, IL

$759 40.2% 75% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Urbana, IL

$339 18% 40.2% $228

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Urbana, IL

$262 13.9% 38.4% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Urbana, IL

$344 18.3% 7.2% $27

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Urbana, IL

$146 7.7% 17.2% $30

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Urbana, IL

$10 * 0.5% 93.9% $155

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Urbana, IL

$26 * 1.4% 84% $135

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 $842 in Urbana, 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 31% higher in Urbana, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY versus $60 in Urbana, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $339 – making Urbana, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Urbana, IL

🕒 Local time

13:10 1:10 PM

12:10 12:10 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

41,250

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Urbana, IL 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

New York, NY costs about 160% more than Urbana, 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 $2,830 in Urbana, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Urbana, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $842 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $1,886 in Urbana, IL. That makes Urbana, IL about 62% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,606 per month in New York, NY and $987 in Urbana, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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