Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Clifton, NJ and Heerlen

For one person, living is cheaper in Heerlen: $2,255 a month against $2,771 in Clifton, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Clifton, NJ
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Clifton, NJ Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Heerlen
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Heerlen Living Index

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Clifton, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,771

/mo nomad

Heerlen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Clifton, NJ and in Heerlen

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 Heerlen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,771 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $2,255 in Heerlen, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $2,771
Heerlen $2,255

A couple spends around $4,035 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $3,463 in Heerlen, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $4,035
Heerlen $3,463

A family of three spends $5,299 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $4,672 in Heerlen, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $5,299
Heerlen $4,672

Clifton, NJ costs about 23% more than Heerlen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Clifton, NJ and Heerlen sit above the global median – Clifton, NJ by 105%, Heerlen by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.14 $22.14

$23.76 €21.13

-6.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$97.9 €87.0

-19.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.83 $12.83

$19.01 €16.90

-32.51%

Cappuccino

$6.41 $6.41

$4.09 €3.64

56.72%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$3.24 €2.88

-24.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.29 €2.03

-21.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$6.09 €5.42

29.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 $7.05

$5.59 €4.97

26.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.33 €1.19

White Bread (500g)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.41 €2.15

91.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$2.54 €2.26

139.76%

Eggs

$5.80 $5.80

$4.47 €3.97

29.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.73 €10.43

18.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.09 $10.09

$14.00 €12.45

-27.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.68 $18.68

$17.89 €15.91

4.42%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$2.28 €2.03

159.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.51 €2.23

-6.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$2.11 €1.88

194.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$4.32 €3.84

21.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$1.85 €1.65

90.27%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.09 €1.86

107.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.39 €1.24

125.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.83 €0.74

216.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.06 $15.06

$13.87 €12.34

8.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.21 $15.21

$7.20 €6.41

111.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.41 €1.26

26.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$2.66 €2.37

36.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.60 €3.20

19.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.8 €53.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$6.27 €5.58

-52.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.69 €1.50

29.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.36 $42.36

$22.38 €19.91

89.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.46 €2.19

-54.07%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$29.7K €26.4K

11.57%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$35.0K €31.1K

-26.94%

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

$219 $219

$191 €170

14.53%

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

$50.7 $50.7

$26.36 €23.45

92.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 $66.5

$56.0 €49.78

18.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.05 $29.05

$35.46 €31.54

-18.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.63 €24.58

Cinema Ticket

$20.63 $20.63

$13.40 €11.92

53.96%

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

$1,967 $1,967

$671 €597

193.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$5,507 €4,898

195.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.73 $31.73

$99.6 €88.6

-68.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.32 $20.32

$49.56 €44.08

-59.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$101 €90.1

7.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$193 €172

-28.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$1,120 €996

20.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 $1,376

$938 €834

46.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 $2,860

$1,913 €1,701

49.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,215 $2,215

$1,587 €1,411

39.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,457 $8,457

$3,938 €3,502

114.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,810 €2,500

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,324 $4,324

$2,947 €2,622

46.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

4.35

56.32%

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

Last update for Clifton, NJ: October 18, 2026

Last update for Heerlen: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Clifton, NJ

$1.4K 49.7%

Heerlen

$938 41.6% 31.8% $438

Groceries & Markets

Clifton, NJ

$460 16.6%

Heerlen

$333 14.8% 27.6% $127

Eating Out

Clifton, NJ

$363 13.1%

Heerlen

$360 16% 0.9% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Clifton, NJ

$336 12.1%

Heerlen

$274 12.1% 18.6% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Clifton, NJ

$135 4.9%

Heerlen

$200 8.9% 48.3% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Clifton, NJ

$70 2.5%

Heerlen

$62 2.8% 11.4% $8.1

Getting Around

Clifton, NJ

$31 * 1.1%

Heerlen

$89 3.9% 186% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,348 in Clifton, NJ versus $1,120 in Heerlen. 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 47% 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 $98.0 in Heerlen. Groceries tell a different story – $460 in Clifton, NJ vs $333 in Heerlen – so Heerlen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Clifton, NJ

🇳🇱 Heerlen

🕒 Local time

14:30 2:30 PM

20:30 8:30 PM

6 h ahead of Clifton, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,606

87,086

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Clifton, NJ Heerlen 5,990 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Clifton, NJ
Heerlen

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 Heerlen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,771 in Clifton, NJ, $2,255 in Heerlen – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,157 per month in Clifton, NJ and $3,383 in Heerlen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Heerlen, 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 $2,771 in Clifton, NJ and $2,255 in Heerlen. That's a gap of about 23%.

Kindergarten costs $1,967 per month in Clifton, NJ and $671 in Heerlen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Heerlen, where all-in costs run around $2,255, than in Clifton, NJ at $2,771. In Heerlen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Clifton, NJ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Heerlen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Heerlen. 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.