Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Edison, NJ: $3,122 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

151

Cost of Living Index in Edison, NJ
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Edison, 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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Edison, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,122

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

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Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,122 in Edison, NJ versus $4,941 in New York, NY.

Edison, NJ $3,122
New York, NY $4,941

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,397 in Edison, NJ versus $7,225 in New York, NY.

Edison, NJ $4,397
New York, NY $7,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,671 in Edison, NJ versus $9,509 in New York, NY.

Edison, NJ $5,671
New York, NY $9,509

Living in Edison, NJ costs roughly 37% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edison, NJ 129% above, New York, NY 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 $18.26

$28.55 $28.55

-36.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 $59.8

$118 $118

-49.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 $9.17

$15.04 $15.04

-39.03%

Cappuccino

$4.08 $4.08

$6.53 $6.53

-37.52%

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

$1.03 $1.03

$3.96 $3.96

-73.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$3.01 $3.01

-67.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 $3.44

$8.16 $8.16

-57.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 $6.82

$9.84 $9.84

-30.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.37 $1.37

-27.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$4.97 $4.97

-35.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$7.81 $7.81

-21.38%

Eggs

$2.54 $2.54

$5.97 $5.97

-57.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 $13.49

$18.91 $18.91

-28.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 $10.34

$18.04 $18.04

-42.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.70 $19.70

$19.05 $19.05

3.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$6.76 $6.76

-12.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.27 $2.27

-32.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$6.83 $6.83

-36.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$7.09 $7.09

-23.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$4.22 $4.22

-28.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$4.65 $4.65

-33.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.87 $2.87

8.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.60 $2.60

-24.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$18.77 $18.77

-46.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$20.13 $20.13

-26.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.45 $3.45

-48.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 $3.54

$4.02 $4.02

-11.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.84 $5.84

$2.91 $2.91

100.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$199 $199

$139 $139

43.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.08 $3.08

-0.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.12 $2.12

-57.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.35 $42.35

$41.96 $41.96

0.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.17 $1.17

-23.08%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.5K $34.5K

-20.35%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.96%

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

$170 $170

$219 $219

-22.35%

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

$51.4 $51.4

$74.2 $74.2

-30.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 $50.6

$70.2 $70.2

-27.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.98 $21.98

$112 $112

-80.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$14.98 $14.98

$22.14 $22.14

-32.34%

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

$2,006 $2,006

$3,558 $3,558

-43.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$62.2K $62.2K

-74.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 $50.8

$75.6 $75.6

-32.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.2 $80.2

$51.2 $51.2

56.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 $61.1

$123 $123

-50.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 $88.5

$140 $140

-36.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 $2,171

$4,499 $4,499

-51.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,772 $1,772

$3,078 $3,078

-42.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,129 $3,129

$9,447 $9,447

-66.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,722 $2,722

$5,190 $5,190

-47.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,960 $6,960

$5,220 $5,220

33.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

6.86

-6.41%

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

Last update for Edison, NJ: October 24, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edison, NJ

$1.8K 56.8%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 73.7% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Edison, NJ

$408 13.1%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 38% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edison, NJ

$272 8.7%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 33.6% $92

Eating Out

Edison, NJ

$261 8.4%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 68.4% $179

Getting Around

Edison, NJ

$230 7.4%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 28.5% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Edison, NJ

$126 4.1%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 38.9% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Edison, NJ

$52 1.7%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 201% $104

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,171 in Edison, NJ and $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edison, NJ pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60 in Edison, NJ vs $118 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $563 per month, with Edison, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Edison, NJ

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

15:34 3:34 PM

Same time as Edison, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,588

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Edison, NJ New York, NY 23 km

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Edison, NJ
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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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,122 in Edison, NJ and $4,941 in New York, NY, so Edison, NJ is about 37% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% higher in Edison, 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: $2,171 in Edison, NJ versus $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in New York, NY runs roughly 30% less than in Edison, NJ. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,006 in Edison, NJ versus $3,558 in New York, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Edison, 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.