Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atlantic City, NJ and Aliso Viejo, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Atlantic City, NJ: $2,821 a month against $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Atlantic City, NJ
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Atlantic City, NJ Living Index
194

Cost of Living Index in Aliso Viejo, CA
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Aliso Viejo, CA Living Index

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Atlantic City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,821

/mo nomad

Aliso Viejo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,964

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Atlantic City, NJ and in Aliso Viejo, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Atlantic City, NJ and in Aliso Viejo, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA.

Atlantic City, NJ $2,821
Aliso Viejo, CA $3,964

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,228 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $6,003 in Aliso Viejo, CA.

Atlantic City, NJ $4,228
Aliso Viejo, CA $6,003

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,635 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $8,043 in Aliso Viejo, CA.

Atlantic City, NJ $5,635
Aliso Viejo, CA $8,043

Living in Atlantic City, NJ costs roughly 29% less than in Aliso Viejo, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Atlantic City, NJ 108% above, Aliso Viejo, CA 193% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 $19.73

$24.73 $24.73

-20.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.1 $98.1

$98.4 $98.4

-0.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 $11.30

$14.32 $14.32

-21.09%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$5.91 $5.91

-8.12%

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

$2.28 $2.28

$3.51 $3.51

-35.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.80 $2.80

-28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 $6.09

$8.22 $8.22

-25.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.78 $8.78

$9.94 $9.94

-11.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.15 $1.15

7.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 $3.38

$4.77 $4.77

-29.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.27 $7.27

$4.72 $4.72

54.03%

Eggs

$4.21 $4.21

$5.08 $5.08

-17.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 $11.18

$11.33 $11.33

-1.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.67 $16.67

$16.09 $16.09

3.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.14 $20.14

$17.67 $17.67

13.98%

Apples (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$5.50 $5.50

37.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$1.73 $1.73

113.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$4.68 $4.68

15.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.86 $5.86

$6.62 $6.62

-11.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.61 $3.61

10.25%

Onion (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.81 $2.81

69.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.20 $2.20

15.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.43 $2.43

0.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 $14.24

$11.92 $11.92

19.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.27 $13.27

$15.26 $15.26

-13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.81 $1.81

45.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.11 $3.11

8.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.07 $3.07

-0.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.3 $88.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$4.47 $4.47

-33.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.91 $1.91

10.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.73 $42.73

$32.04 $32.04

33.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.59 $1.59

-39.62%

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

$20.4K $20.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-41.78%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$27.0K $27.0K

-8.11%

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

$250 $250

$212 $212

18.07%

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

$61.2 $61.2

$71.5 $71.5

-14.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.0 $61.0

$71.3 $71.3

-14.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.59 $29.59

$38.84 $38.84

-23.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 $50.1

Cinema Ticket

$16.78 $16.78

$17.19 $17.19

-2.39%

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

$503 $503

$1,698 $1,698

-70.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,031 $7,031

$31.8K $31.8K

-77.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 $70.5

$72.5 $72.5

-2.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.78 $31.78

$65.1 $65.1

-51.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$116 $116

4.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$169 $169

-29.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 $1,737

$2,908 $2,908

-40.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 $1,307

$2,466 $2,466

-46.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,320 $2,320

$4,191 $4,191

-44.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,175 $2,175

$4,644 $4,644

-53.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,255 $4,255

$7,007 $7,007

-39.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,212 $4,212

$6,500 $6,500

-35.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,017 $4,017

$7,985 $7,985

-49.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.86

-2.77%

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

Last update for Atlantic City, NJ: October 20, 2026

Last update for Aliso Viejo, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Atlantic City, NJ

$1.3K 46.3%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$2.5K 62.2% 88.7% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Atlantic City, NJ

$488 17.3%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$456 11.5% 6.5% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atlantic City, NJ

$372 13.2%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$355 8.9% 4.8% $18

Eating Out

Atlantic City, NJ

$322 11.4%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$398 10% 23.6% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Atlantic City, NJ

$155 5.5%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$190 4.8% 23% $36

Getting Around

Atlantic City, NJ

$114 4%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$26 * 0.7% 76.9% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Atlantic City, NJ

$63 2.2%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$73 1.9% 16% $10

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,737 in Atlantic City, NJ and $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aliso Viejo, CA pays 99% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $98.0 in Atlantic City, NJ vs $98.0 in Aliso Viejo, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $488 vs $456, with Aliso Viejo, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Atlantic City, NJ

🇺🇸 Aliso Viejo, CA

🕒 Local time

23:40 11:40 PM

20:40 8:40 PM

3 h behind Atlantic City, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,958

41,489

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Atlantic City, NJ Aliso Viejo, CA 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Atlantic City, NJ
Aliso Viejo, CA

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

Atlantic City, NJ vs Aliso Viejo, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Atlantic City, NJ and Aliso Viejo, CA differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $3,964 including rent). Atlantic City, NJ is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 99% lower in Aliso Viejo, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,737 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Aliso Viejo, CA pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,821 per month in Atlantic City, NJ versus $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Atlantic City, NJ is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Atlantic City, NJ and Aliso Viejo, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Atlantic City, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Aliso Viejo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.