Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Elizabeth, NJ: $3,186 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth, NJ
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Elizabeth, 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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Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $4,938 in New York, NY.

Elizabeth, NJ $3,186
New York, NY $4,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,453 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $7,273 in New York, NY.

Elizabeth, NJ $4,453
New York, NY $7,273

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,720 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $9,608 in New York, NY.

Elizabeth, NJ $5,720
New York, NY $9,608

Living in Elizabeth, NJ costs roughly 35% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Elizabeth, NJ 135% above, New York, NY 264% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 $19.71

$24.99 $24.99

-21.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 $80.4

$120 $120

-33.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$13.74 $13.74

-13.46%

Cappuccino

$5.45 $5.45

$6.60 $6.60

-17.42%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$3.82 $3.82

-36.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.87 $2.87

-48.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 $7.78

$7.95 $7.95

-2.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 $7.15

$10.06 $10.06

-28.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.37 $1.37

-7.30%

White Bread (500g)

$4.50 $4.50

$4.75 $4.75

-5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$7.69 $7.69

-22.50%

Eggs

$6.52 $6.52

$5.87 $5.87

11.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$19.25 $19.25

-20.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 $11.83

$17.83 $17.83

-33.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.73 $19.73

$19.03 $19.03

3.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$6.69 $6.69

-11.06%

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.29 $2.29

55.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$6.41 $6.41

-34.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$6.75 $6.75

-19.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.93 $3.93

-23.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$4.52 $4.52

-34.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.79 $2.79

7.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.51 $2.51

0.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.62 $14.62

$18.10 $18.10

-19.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$20.16 $20.16

-24.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$3.26 $3.26

-17.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.75 $3.75

-9.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.92 $2.92

-1.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 $76.0

$143 $143

-46.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.06 $3.06

-4.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.16 $2.16

-2.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.39 $42.39

$41.33 $41.33

2.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.12 $1.12

-2.68%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$33.1K $33.1K

-15.65%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.7K $25.7K

2.24%

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

$247 $247

$219 $219

12.79%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$75.3 $75.3

-32.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 $50.1

$70.5 $70.5

-28.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.78 $24.78

$116 $116

-78.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$20.03 $20.03

$21.37 $21.37

-6.27%

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

$2,012 $2,012

$3,432 $3,432

-41.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$61.7K $61.7K

-73.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.63 $49.63

$74.9 $74.9

-33.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.6 $77.6

$52.1 $52.1

48.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$117 $117

-24.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$135 $135

-9.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 $2,181

$4,347 $4,347

-49.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 $1,718

$3,117 $3,117

-44.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 $2,668

$9,110 $9,110

-70.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 $2,492

$5,379 $5,379

-53.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,297 $1,297

$19.3K $19.3K

-93.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,143 $1,143

$6,943 $6,943

-83.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,997 $3,997

$5,238 $5,238

-23.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.85

-2.63%

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

Last update for Elizabeth, 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

Elizabeth, NJ

$1.7K 53.9%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 81.5% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Elizabeth, NJ

$475 14.9%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 16.3% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elizabeth, NJ

$348 10.9%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 4.8% $17

Eating Out

Elizabeth, NJ

$328 10.3%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 24.2% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Elizabeth, NJ

$152 4.8%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 12.4% $19

Getting Around

Elizabeth, NJ

$101 3.2%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 66.6% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Elizabeth, NJ

$65 2%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 144% $93

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ and $4,347 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 31% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $80.0 in Elizabeth, NJ vs $120 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $475 vs $552 per month, with Elizabeth, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

Same time as Elizabeth, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,179

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Elizabeth, NJ New York, NY 4 km

From you

Elizabeth, 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

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

Elizabeth, NJ and New York, NY differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($3,186 vs $4,938 including rent). Elizabeth, NJ is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in New York, NY. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $4,347 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,012 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $3,432 in New York, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

Expats usually find Elizabeth, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.