Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Clifton, NJ and Columbus, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Columbus, OH: $2,503 a month against $2,793 in Clifton, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Clifton, NJ
Learn more

Clifton, NJ Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Columbus, OH
Learn more

Columbus, OH Living Index

Jump to prices

Clifton, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,793

/mo nomad

Columbus, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,503

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Clifton, NJ and in Columbus, OH

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

A single person spends $2,793 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $2,503 in Columbus, OH, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $2,793
Columbus, OH $2,503

A couple spends around $4,040 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $3,732 in Columbus, OH, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $4,040
Columbus, OH $3,732

A family of three spends $5,286 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $4,962 in Columbus, OH, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $5,286
Columbus, OH $4,962

Clifton, NJ costs about 12% more than Columbus, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Clifton, NJ and Columbus, OH sit above the global median – Clifton, NJ by 107%, Columbus, OH by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.35 $22.35

$21.60 $21.60

3.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$78.0 $78.0

1.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.04 $13.04

$12.02 $12.02

8.49%

Cappuccino

$6.57 $6.57

$5.28 $5.28

24.43%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$2.58 $2.58

-1.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.08 $2.08

-14.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 $7.98

$6.16 $6.16

29.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$0.91 $0.91

46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.25 $3.25

34.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$5.28 $5.28

17.99%

Eggs

$5.88 $5.88

$3.75 $3.75

56.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 $13.92

$13.88 $13.88

0.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$14.88 $14.88

-31.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$15.78 $15.78

18.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$6.35 $6.35

-5.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.67 $1.67

28.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$6.06 $6.06

1.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.64 $4.64

15.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.93 $2.93

24.57%

Onion (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.41 $3.41

29.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.27 $2.27

36.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.27 $2.27

13.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.84 $17.84

$9.97 $9.97

78.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.22 $15.22

$16.23 $16.23

-6.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.17 $2.17

-18.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.00 $3.00

23.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.06 $2.06

116.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 $61.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.98 $2.98

-1.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.26 $1.26

67.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.80 $41.80

$26.64 $26.64

56.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.03 $1.03

11.65%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$35.5K $35.5K

-1.43%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.1K $25.1K

1.19%

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

$217 $217

$220 $220

-1.09%

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

$51.1 $51.1

$66.3 $66.3

-22.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 $66.3

$68.1 $68.1

-2.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.82 $28.82

$34.99 $34.99

-17.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.37 $41.37

Cinema Ticket

$20.01 $20.01

$13.17 $13.17

51.94%

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

$1,968 $1,968

$1,600 $1,600

23.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$34.8K $34.8K

-54.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.41 $31.41

$49.12 $49.12

-36.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.70 $19.70

$41.04 $41.04

-52.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$80.0 $80.0

36.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$107 $107

24.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,335 $1,335

$1,563 $1,563

-14.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 $1,400

$1,116 $1,116

25.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 $2,820

$2,310 $2,310

22.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 $2,203

$1,879 $1,879

17.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,451 $8,451

$3,474 $3,474

143.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,740 $1,740

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,212 $4,212

$3,733 $3,733

12.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.64

2.41%

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

Last update for Clifton, NJ: October 11, 2026

Last update for Columbus, OH: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Clifton, NJ

$1.4K 50.1%

Columbus, OH

$1.1K 44.6% 20.2% $283

Groceries & Markets

Clifton, NJ

$458 16.4%

Columbus, OH

$432 17.2% 5.8% $27

Eating Out

Clifton, NJ

$368 13.2%

Columbus, OH

$336 13.4% 8.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Clifton, NJ

$335 12%

Columbus, OH

$354 14.1% 5.8% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Clifton, NJ

$132 4.7%

Columbus, OH

$125 5% 5.5% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Clifton, NJ

$69 2.5%

Columbus, OH

$61 2.5% 10.9% $7.5

Getting Around

Clifton, NJ

$31 * 1.1%

Columbus, OH

$79 3.2% 152% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,335 in Clifton, NJ versus $1,563 in Columbus, OH. 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 13% higher in Clifton, NJ, 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 $79.0 in Clifton, NJ versus $78.0 in Columbus, OH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $432 – making Columbus, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Clifton, NJ

🇺🇸 Columbus, OH

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

Same time as Clifton, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,606

905,748

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Clifton, NJ Columbus, OH 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Clifton, NJ
Columbus, OH

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

Clifton, NJ vs Columbus, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,793 in Clifton, NJ, $2,503 in Columbus, OH – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,189 per month in Clifton, NJ and $3,754 in Columbus, OH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Columbus, OH, 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 $2,793 in Clifton, NJ and $2,503 in Columbus, OH. That's a gap of about 12%.

Kindergarten costs $1,968 per month in Clifton, NJ and $1,600 in Columbus, OH. 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 $2,793 in Clifton, NJ and $2,503 in Columbus, OH. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Columbus, OH has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,503 in Columbus, OH to $2,793 in Clifton, NJ. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Columbus, OH. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Clifton, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.