Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Rockford, IL: $2,166 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $33,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

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

🇺🇸 United States

$2,166

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,166 per month in Rockford, IL vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

Rockford, IL $2,166
New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $3,480 per month in Rockford, IL vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Rockford, IL $3,480
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $4,794 per month in Rockford, IL vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

Rockford, IL $4,794
New York, NY $9,608

Rockford, IL is about 56% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rockford, IL and New York, NY sit above the global median – Rockford, IL by 60%, New York, NY by 264%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.72 $15.72

$24.99 $24.99

-37.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 $73.6

$120 $120

-38.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.97 $9.97

$13.74 $13.74

-27.44%

Cappuccino

$5.03 $5.03

$6.60 $6.60

-23.79%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$3.82 $3.82

-26.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.87 $2.87

-30.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.59 $4.59

$7.95 $7.95

-42.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$10.06 $10.06

-32.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.37 $1.37

-40.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 $3.40

$4.75 $4.75

-28.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$7.69 $7.69

-31.08%

Eggs

$2.91 $2.91

$5.87 $5.87

-50.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 $10.07

$19.25 $19.25

-47.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.99 $13.99

$17.83 $17.83

-21.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.79 $16.79

$19.03 $19.03

-11.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$6.69 $6.69

-28.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.29 $2.29

-33.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$6.41 $6.41

-40.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$6.75 $6.75

-23.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.93 $3.93

-37.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$4.52 $4.52

-42.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.79 $2.79

-20.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.51 $2.51

-26.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.97 $10.97

$18.10 $18.10

-39.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.82 $15.82

$20.16 $20.16

-21.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.26 $3.26

-38.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$3.75 $3.75

-50.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.92 $2.92

-47.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.5 $55.5

$143 $143

-61.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.06 $3.06

-10.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.16 $2.16

-26.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.70 $20.70

$41.33 $41.33

-49.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.12 $1.12

-7.14%

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

$33.5K $33.5K

$33.1K $33.1K

1.13%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.7K $25.7K

1.71%

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

$192 $192

$219 $219

-12.34%

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

$45.71 $45.71

$75.3 $75.3

-39.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.1 $71.1

$70.5 $70.5

0.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.82 $41.82

$116 $116

-63.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.44 $25.44

$67.6 $67.6

-62.38%

Cinema Ticket

$14.03 $14.03

$21.37 $21.37

-34.35%

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

$520 $520

$3,432 $3,432

-84.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,074 $4,074

$61.7K $61.7K

-93.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.23 $45.23

$74.9 $74.9

-39.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.80 $35.80

$52.1 $52.1

-31.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 $93.1

$117 $117

-20.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$135 $135

-16.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 $1,293

$4,347 $4,347

-70.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 $925

$3,117 $3,117

-70.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 $2,298

$9,110 $9,110

-74.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 $2,040

$5,379 $5,379

-62.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,476 $1,476

$19.3K $19.3K

-92.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,421 $1,421

$6,943 $6,943

-79.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,398 $3,398

$5,238 $5,238

-35.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.85

-5.26%

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

Last update for Rockford, IL: October 18, 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

Rockford, IL

$925 42.7%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 237% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

Rockford, IL

$389 17.9%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 42.1% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rockford, IL

$309 14.3%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 18.2% $56

Eating Out

Rockford, IL

$272 12.6%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 49.7% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Rockford, IL

$129 6%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 31.9% $41

Getting Around

Rockford, IL

$72 3.3%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 133% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Rockford, IL

$70 3.2%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 127% $88

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,293 in Rockford, 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.

Salaries run about 54% 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 $74.0 in Rockford, IL versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $552 – making Rockford, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rockford, IL

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

22:34 10:34 PM

1 h ahead of Rockford, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,655

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Rockford, IL New York, NY 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Rockford, 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

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

New York, NY costs about 128% 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 $3,249 per month in Rockford, 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 Rockford, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $520 per month in Rockford, 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.

Groceries cost about 42% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Rockford, IL, where all-in costs run around $2,166, than in New York, NY at $4,938. In Rockford, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rockford, IL costs $2,166 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 Rockford, 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.