Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Clifton, NJ and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Clifton, NJ: $2,771 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $26,000 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
239

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

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Clifton, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,771

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,771 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $2,771
New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $4,035 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $4,035
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $5,299 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $5,299
New York, NY $9,608

Clifton, NJ is about 44% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Clifton, NJ and New York, NY sit above the global median – Clifton, NJ by 105%, New York, NY by 264%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.14 $22.14

$24.99 $24.99

-11.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$120 $120

-34.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.83 $12.83

$13.74 $13.74

-6.62%

Cappuccino

$6.41 $6.41

$6.60 $6.60

-2.88%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$3.82 $3.82

-36.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.87 $2.87

-37.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$7.95 $7.95

-0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 $7.05

$10.06 $10.06

-29.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.37 $1.37

-2.92%

White Bread (500g)

$4.61 $4.61

$4.75 $4.75

-2.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$7.69 $7.69

-20.81%

Eggs

$5.80 $5.80

$5.87 $5.87

-1.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.90 $13.90

$19.25 $19.25

-27.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.09 $10.09

$17.83 $17.83

-43.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.68 $18.68

$19.03 $19.03

-1.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$6.69 $6.69

-11.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.29 $2.29

2.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$6.41 $6.41

-3.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$6.75 $6.75

-22.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.93 $3.93

-10.43%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.52 $4.52

-3.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.79 $2.79

12.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.51 $2.51

4.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.06 $15.06

$18.10 $18.10

-16.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.21 $15.21

$20.16 $20.16

-24.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$3.26 $3.26

-45.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$3.75 $3.75

-3.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.92 $2.92

47.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.06 $3.06

-3.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.16 $2.16

1.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.36 $42.36

$41.33 $41.33

2.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.12 $1.12

0.89%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

-0.13%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.7K $25.7K

-0.59%

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

$219 $219

-0.04%

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

$50.7 $50.7

$75.3 $75.3

-32.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 $66.5

$70.5 $70.5

-5.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.05 $29.05

$116 $116

-74.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$20.63 $20.63

$21.37 $21.37

-3.46%

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

$1,967 $1,967

$3,432 $3,432

-42.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$61.7K $61.7K

-73.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.73 $31.73

$74.9 $74.9

-57.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.32 $20.32

$52.1 $52.1

-61.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$117 $117

-6.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$135 $135

2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$4,347 $4,347

-69.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 $1,376

$3,117 $3,117

-55.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 $2,860

$9,110 $9,110

-68.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,215 $2,215

$5,379 $5,379

-58.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,457 $8,457

$19.3K $19.3K

-56.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,324 $4,324

$5,238 $5,238

-17.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.85

-0.73%

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

Last update for Clifton, NJ: 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

Clifton, NJ

$1.4K 49.7%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 127% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Clifton, NJ

$460 16.6%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 20.1% $92

Eating Out

Clifton, NJ

$363 13.1%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 12.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Clifton, NJ

$336 12.1%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 8.6% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Clifton, NJ

$135 4.9%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 26.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Clifton, NJ

$70 2.5%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 125% $88

Getting Around

Clifton, NJ

$31 * 1.1%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 441% $137

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 $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.

Salaries run about 21% higher in New York, NY, 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 $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $460 vs $552 – making Clifton, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Clifton, NJ

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

19:19 7:19 PM

Same time as Clifton, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,606

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,771 in Clifton, NJ, $4,938 in New York, NY – roughly 78% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,157 per month in Clifton, NJ and $7,407 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Clifton, NJ, 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 $4,938 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 78%.

Kindergarten costs $1,967 per month in Clifton, NJ 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.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,771 in Clifton, NJ and $4,938 in New York, NY. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,771 in Clifton, NJ to $4,938 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Clifton, NJ. 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.