Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Zion, IL: $2,515 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $29,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Zion, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,515
/mo nomad
New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,938
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,515 per month in Zion, IL vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Zion, IL $2,515
  • New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $3,725 per month in Zion, IL vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Zion, IL $3,725
  • New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $4,935 per month in Zion, IL vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Zion, IL $4,935
  • New York, NY $9,608

Zion, IL is about 49% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Zion, IL and New York, NY sit above the global median – Zion, IL by 86%, New York, NY by 264%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zion, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.10 $15.10
$24.99 $24.99
-39.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.4 $62.4
$120 $120
-48.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.98 $7.98
$13.74 $13.74
-41.92%
Cappuccino
$5.54 $5.54
$6.60 $6.60
-16.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 $2.21
$3.82 $3.82
-42.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 $1.09
$2.87 $2.87
-62.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.58 $5.58
$7.95 $7.95
-29.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.94 $4.94
$10.06 $10.06
-50.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zion, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.37 $1.37
-27.74%
White Bread (500g)
$2.40 $2.40
$4.75 $4.75
-49.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.09 $4.09
$7.69 $7.69
-46.81%
Eggs
$3.94 $3.94
$5.87 $5.87
-32.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.37 $12.37
$19.25 $19.25
-35.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.45 $15.45
$17.83 $17.83
-13.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.20 $16.20
$19.03 $19.03
-14.87%
Apples (1kg)
$6.10 $6.10
$6.69 $6.69
-8.82%
Banana (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$2.29 $2.29
2.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.29 $4.29
$6.41 $6.41
-33.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.43 $4.43
$6.75 $6.75
-34.37%
Potato (1kg)
$3.36 $3.36
$3.93 $3.93
-14.50%
Onion (1kg)
$2.68 $2.68
$4.52 $4.52
-40.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.99 $1.99
$2.79 $2.79
-28.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.57 $2.57
$2.51 $2.51
2.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.28 $12.28
$18.10 $18.10
-32.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.57 $14.57
$20.16 $20.16
-27.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.10 $2.10
$3.26 $3.26
-35.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.97 $3.97
$3.75 $3.75
5.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Zion, IL
New York, NY
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.93 $1.93
$2.92 $2.92
-33.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$143 $143
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.61 $5.61
$3.06 $3.06
83.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.84 $2.84
$2.16 $2.16
31.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.17 $17.17
$41.33 $41.33
-58.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 $1.15
$1.12 $1.12
2.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K $27.8K
$33.1K $33.1K
-16.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K $26.3K
$25.7K $25.7K
2.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zion, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$220 $220
$219 $219
0.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.8 $51.8
$75.3 $75.3
-31.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$66.0 $66.0
$70.5 $70.5
-6.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zion, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.52 $39.52
$116 $116
-65.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$67.6 $67.6
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.20 $11.20
$21.37 $21.37
-47.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zion, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,117 $1,117
$3,432 $3,432
-67.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K $12.6K
$61.7K $61.7K
-79.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zion, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.09 $46.09
$74.9 $74.9
-38.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.14 $25.14
$52.1 $52.1
-51.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$57.7 $57.7
$117 $117
-50.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.6 $50.6
$135 $135
-62.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zion, IL
New York, NY
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,685 $1,685
$4,347 $4,347
-61.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,330 $1,330
$3,117 $3,117
-57.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,536 $2,536
$9,110 $9,110
-72.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,389 $2,389
$5,379 $5,379
-55.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,939 $2,939
$19.3K $19.3K
-84.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,054 $2,054
$6,943 $6,943
-70.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zion, IL
New York, NY
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$5,238 $5,238
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
6.85
-0.44%

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

Last update for Zion, 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
Zion, IL
$1.3K
New York, NY
$3.1K 134% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
Zion, IL
$415
New York, NY
$552 33.2% $138
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zion, IL
$338
New York, NY
$365 8.1% $27
Eating Out
Zion, IL
$262
New York, NY
$407 55.1% $145
Clothing & Footwear
Zion, IL
$81
New York, NY
$170 111% $89
Sport & Entertainment
Zion, IL
$62
New York, NY
$158 156% $96
Getting Around
Zion, IL
$28 *
New York, NY
$168 510% $141

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,685 in Zion, 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 $62.0 in Zion, IL versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $552 – making Zion, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Zion, IL
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🕒 Local time
22:57 10:57 PM
23:57 11:57 PM
1 h ahead of Zion, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
24,655
8,804,190
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zion, IL New York, NY 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Zion, 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
Zion, IL vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Zion, IL or New York, NY?
New York, NY costs about 96% more than Zion, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Zion, IL and in New York, NY?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,772 per month in Zion, IL and $7,407 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Zion, IL or New York, NY?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Zion, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Zion, IL compared to New York, NY?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,515 in Zion, IL and $4,938 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 96%.
How do childcare costs compare in Zion, IL and in New York, NY?
Kindergarten costs $1,117 per month in Zion, 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.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Zion, IL or in New York, NY?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,515 in Zion, IL and $4,938 in New York, NY. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Zion, IL or New York, NY?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Zion, IL costs $2,515 versus $4,938 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Zion, IL or to New York, NY?
If budget matters most, go with Zion, 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.

Zion, IL vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?