Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen County, NJ and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Bergen County, NJ: $4,323 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

208

Cost of Living Index in Bergen County, NJ
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Bergen County, NJ Living Index
239

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

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Bergen County, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$4,323

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,323 in Bergen County, NJ versus $4,938 in New York, NY.

Bergen County, NJ $4,323
New York, NY $4,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,463 in Bergen County, NJ versus $7,273 in New York, NY.

Bergen County, NJ $5,463
New York, NY $7,273

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,603 in Bergen County, NJ versus $9,608 in New York, NY.

Bergen County, NJ $6,603
New York, NY $9,608

Living in Bergen County, NJ costs roughly 12% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen County, NJ 219% above, New York, NY 264% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.48 $22.48

$24.99 $24.99

-10.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 $85.3

$120 $120

-29.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.83 $12.83

$13.74 $13.74

-6.62%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$6.60 $6.60

-22.27%

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

$3.07 $3.07

$3.82 $3.82

-19.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.87 $2.87

-22.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 $8.19

$7.95 $7.95

3.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.09 $8.09

$10.06 $10.06

-19.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.37 $1.37

5.84%

White Bread (500g)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.75 $4.75

-8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.59 $7.59

$7.69 $7.69

-1.30%

Eggs

$5.07 $5.07

$5.87 $5.87

-13.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.66 $12.66

$19.25 $19.25

-34.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 $11.91

$17.83 $17.83

-33.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.75 $17.75

$19.03 $19.03

-6.73%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$6.69 $6.69

-21.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.29 $2.29

-32.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$6.41 $6.41

-20.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$6.75 $6.75

-25.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.93 $3.93

-30.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$4.52 $4.52

-32.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.79 $2.79

-14.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.51 $2.51

-4.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.90 $11.90

$18.10 $18.10

-34.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.56 $24.56

$20.16 $20.16

21.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$3.26 $3.26

-47.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.75 $3.75

18.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.92 $2.92

42.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$169 $169

$143 $143

18.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.06 $3.06

-13.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.16 $2.16

-29.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.11 $24.11

$41.33 $41.33

-41.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.12 $1.12

-5.36%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$33.1K $33.1K

-15.41%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.7K $25.7K

0.64%

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

$211 $211

$219 $219

-3.99%

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

$73.5 $73.5

$75.3 $75.3

-2.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 $64.7

$70.5 $70.5

-8.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.2 $98.2

$116 $116

-15.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.53 $49.53

$67.6 $67.6

-26.75%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 $15.26

$21.37 $21.37

-28.59%

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

$2,285 $2,285

$3,432 $3,432

-33.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$61.7K $61.7K

-60.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.52 $48.52

$74.9 $74.9

-35.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.34 $46.34

$52.1 $52.1

-11.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 $79.9

$117 $117

-31.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 $153

$135 $135

13.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,786 $2,786

$4,347 $4,347

-35.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,685 $2,685

$3,117 $3,117

-13.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,541 $4,541

$9,110 $9,110

-50.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,963 $2,963

$5,379 $5,379

-44.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,928 $3,928

$19.3K $19.3K

-79.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,697 $3,697

$6,943 $6,943

-46.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,356 $5,356

$5,238 $5,238

2.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.85

-3.36%

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

Last update for Bergen County, NJ: October 20, 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

Bergen County, NJ

$2.7K 62.1%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 16.1% $432

Groceries & Markets

Bergen County, NJ

$460 10.6%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 20.1% $92

Eating Out

Bergen County, NJ

$358 8.3%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 13.6% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bergen County, NJ

$349 8.1%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 4.7% $16

Getting Around

Bergen County, NJ

$196 4.5%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 14.1% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Bergen County, NJ

$147 3.4%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 15.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Bergen County, NJ

$129 3%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 22.9% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,786 in Bergen County, NJ and $4,347 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen County, NJ pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Bergen County, NJ vs $120 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $460 vs $552 per month, with Bergen County, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bergen County, NJ

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

00:09 12:09 AM

Same time as Bergen County, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,668

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bergen County, NJ New York, NY 35 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bergen County, NJ vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen County, NJ and New York, NY differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($4,323 vs $4,938 including rent). Bergen County, NJ is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Bergen County, NJ, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,786 in Bergen County, NJ versus $4,347 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bergen County, NJ – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $120 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,323 per month in Bergen County, NJ versus $4,938 in New York, NY – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $5,000. Bergen County, 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.

Expats usually find Bergen County, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.