Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edison, NJ and Santa Monica, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Edison, NJ: $3,122 a month against $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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
183

Cost of Living Index in Santa Monica, CA
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Santa Monica, CA Living Index

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Edison, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,122

/mo nomad

Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Edison, NJ and in Santa Monica, CA

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 Santa Monica, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,122 in Edison, NJ versus $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA.

Edison, NJ $3,122
Santa Monica, CA $3,815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,397 in Edison, NJ versus $5,847 in Santa Monica, CA.

Edison, NJ $4,397
Santa Monica, CA $5,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,671 in Edison, NJ versus $7,879 in Santa Monica, CA.

Edison, NJ $5,671
Santa Monica, CA $7,879

Living in Edison, NJ costs roughly 18% less than in Santa Monica, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edison, NJ 129% above, Santa Monica, CA 180% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 $18.26

$26.80 $26.80

-31.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 $59.8

$121 $121

-50.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 $9.17

$15.08 $15.08

-39.19%

Cappuccino

$4.08 $4.08

$5.77 $5.77

-29.29%

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

$1.03 $1.03

$3.32 $3.32

-68.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.35 $2.35

-58.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 $3.44

$7.94 $7.94

-56.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 $6.82

$9.95 $9.95

-31.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.35 $1.35

-25.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$4.63 $4.63

-30.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$4.52 $4.52

35.84%

Eggs

$2.54 $2.54

$5.46 $5.46

-53.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 $13.49

$15.99 $15.99

-15.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 $10.34

$14.11 $14.11

-26.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.70 $19.70

$19.54 $19.54

0.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$4.86 $4.86

22.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.24 $2.24

-31.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.14 $4.14

4.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$5.76 $5.76

-6.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.38 $3.38

-10.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.91 $2.91

6.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.16 $2.16

43.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.57 $2.57

-23.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$11.59 $11.59

-13.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$14.87 $14.87

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.53 $2.53

-30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.02 $3.02

17.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.84 $5.84

$1.70 $1.70

243.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$199 $199

$54.8 $54.8

262.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.03 $3.03

0.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.83 $1.83

-50.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.35 $42.35

$32.50 $32.50

30.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.48 $1.48

-39.19%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$32.6K $32.6K

-15.75%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.3K $26.3K

0.27%

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

$170 $170

$216 $216

-21.24%

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

$51.4 $51.4

$46.35 $46.35

10.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 $50.6

$64.5 $64.5

-21.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.98 $21.98

$67.3 $67.3

-67.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.25 $44.25

Cinema Ticket

$14.98 $14.98

$18.86 $18.86

-20.57%

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

$2,006 $2,006

$1,741 $1,741

15.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$32.4K $32.4K

-51.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 $50.8

$87.7 $87.7

-42.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.2 $80.2

$54.1 $54.1

48.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 $61.1

$106 $106

-42.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 $88.5

$118 $118

-25.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 $2,171

$3,795 $3,795

-42.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,772 $1,772

$2,269 $2,269

-21.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,129 $3,129

$8,658 $8,658

-63.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,722 $2,722

$4,229 $4,229

-35.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.1K $13.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,732 $9,732

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,960 $6,960

$7,010 $7,010

-0.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

6.62

-3.02%

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

Last update for Edison, NJ: October 24, 2026

Last update for Santa Monica, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edison, NJ

$1.8K 56.8%

Santa Monica, CA

$2.3K 59.5% 28% $497

Groceries & Markets

Edison, NJ

$408 13.1%

Santa Monica, CA

$464 12.2% 13.7% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edison, NJ

$272 8.7%

Santa Monica, CA

$327 8.6% 20.1% $55

Eating Out

Edison, NJ

$261 8.4%

Santa Monica, CA

$411 10.8% 57.3% $150

Getting Around

Edison, NJ

$230 7.4%

Santa Monica, CA

$74 1.9% 67.9% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Edison, NJ

$126 4.1%

Santa Monica, CA

$165 4.3% 30.4% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Edison, NJ

$52 1.7%

Santa Monica, CA

$105 2.8% 102% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,171 in Edison, NJ and $3,795 in Santa Monica, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60 in Edison, NJ vs $121 in Santa Monica, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $464 per month, with Edison, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Edison, NJ

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

13:37 1:37 PM

3 h behind Edison, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,588

89,736

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Edison, NJ Santa Monica, CA 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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 Santa Monica, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,122 in Edison, NJ and $3,815 in Santa Monica, CA, so Edison, NJ is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,682 in Edison, NJ and $5,722 in Santa Monica, CA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,171 in Edison, NJ versus $3,795 in Santa Monica, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Santa Monica, CA runs roughly 72% 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 $1,741 in Santa Monica, CA. 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.