Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

132

Cost of Living Index in Rock Island, IL
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Rock Island, IL Living Index
239

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

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Rock Island, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,664

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rock Island, IL and in New York, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rock Island, IL and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rock Island, IL is about 46% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.07 $20.07

$24.99 $24.99

-19.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 $67.2

$120 $120

-44.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 $12.84

$13.74 $13.74

-6.55%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$6.60 $6.60

-10.61%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$3.82 $3.82

-17.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.87 $2.87

-16.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$7.95 $7.95

-10.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 $7.97

$10.06 $10.06

-20.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.37 $1.37

-31.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.75 $4.75

-26.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$7.69 $7.69

-44.99%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$5.87 $5.87

-36.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 $15.09

$19.25 $19.25

-21.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$17.83 $17.83

-26.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.09 $20.09

$19.03 $19.03

5.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$6.69 $6.69

-29.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.29 $2.29

-28.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$6.41 $6.41

-19.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$6.75 $6.75

-29.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.93 $3.93

-28.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$4.52 $4.52

-30.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.79 $2.79

-22.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.51 $2.51

-3.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 $10.72

$18.10 $18.10

-40.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 $15.51

$20.16 $20.16

-23.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.26 $3.26

-18.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.75 $3.75

16.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.92 $2.92

-37.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.06 $3.06

29.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.16 $2.16

-7.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.24 $44.24

$41.33 $41.33

7.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.12 $1.12

-10.71%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$33.1K $33.1K

-5.87%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.7K $25.7K

-0.33%

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

$267 $267

$219 $219

21.71%

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

$52.3 $52.3

$75.3 $75.3

-30.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.6 $80.6

$70.5 $70.5

14.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.16 $45.16

$116 $116

-60.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$15.12 $15.12

$21.37 $21.37

-29.25%

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

$1,719 $1,719

$3,432 $3,432

-49.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$61.7K $61.7K

-61.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 $64.5

$74.9 $74.9

-13.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 $50.9

$52.1 $52.1

-2.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$117 $117

-7.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$135 $135

-11.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 $1,812

$4,347 $4,347

-58.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 $1,239

$3,117 $3,117

-60.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 $2,614

$9,110 $9,110

-71.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 $2,021

$5,379 $5,379

-62.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,912 $2,912

$19.3K $19.3K

-84.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 $2,284

$6,943 $6,943

-67.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.85

-2.34%

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

Last update for Rock Island, IL: October 17, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rock Island, IL

$1.2K 46.5%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 152% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Rock Island, IL

$431 16.2%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 28.2% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rock Island, IL

$400 15%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 8.7% $35

Eating Out

Rock Island, IL

$343 12.9%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 18.5% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Rock Island, IL

$154 5.8%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 10.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Rock Island, IL

$75 2.8%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 110% $83

Getting Around

Rock Island, IL

$21 * 0.8%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 694% $147

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,812 in Rock Island, IL versus $4,347 in New York, NY. 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 $67.0 in Rock Island, IL versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $552 – making Rock Island, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rock Island, IL

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

20:00 8:00 PM

21:00 9:00 PM

1 h ahead of Rock Island, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,108

8,804,190

💱 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

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

From you

Rock Island, IL
New York, NY

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

Rock Island, IL vs New York, NY: 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 $3,995 per month in Rock Island, IL and $7,407 in New York, NY. 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 $2,664 in Rock Island, IL and $4,938 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 85%.

Kindergarten costs $1,719 per month in Rock Island, IL and $3,432 in New York, NY. 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 $2,664 in Rock Island, IL and $4,938 in New York, NY. 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.