Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Lee, NJ and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Lee, NJ: $3,894 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

187

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lee, NJ
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Fort Lee, 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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Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,894

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $4,941 in New York, NY.

Fort Lee, NJ $3,894
New York, NY $4,941

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,154 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $7,225 in New York, NY.

Fort Lee, NJ $6,154
New York, NY $7,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,415 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $9,509 in New York, NY.

Fort Lee, NJ $8,415
New York, NY $9,509

Living in Fort Lee, NJ costs roughly 21% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort Lee, NJ 186% above, New York, NY 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 $25.04

$28.55 $28.55

-12.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$118 $118

-31.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 $10.95

$15.04 $15.04

-27.19%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$6.53 $6.53

-18.07%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$3.96 $3.96

-44.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$3.01 $3.01

-49.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$8.16 $8.16

0.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$9.84 $9.84

-18.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.37 $1.37

-2.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$4.97 $4.97

-22.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$7.81 $7.81

-13.06%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$5.97 $5.97

-22.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 $12.55

$18.91 $18.91

-33.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 $11.86

$18.04 $18.04

-34.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.50 $17.50

$19.05 $19.05

-8.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$6.76 $6.76

-19.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.27 $2.27

-22.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$6.83 $6.83

-8.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$7.09 $7.09

-23.55%

Potato (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.22 $4.22

-3.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$4.65 $4.65

-15.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.87 $2.87

1.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.60 $2.60

5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.78 $11.78

$18.77 $18.77

-37.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 $11.86

$20.13 $20.13

-41.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$3.45 $3.45

-50.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$4.02 $4.02

-49.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.91 $2.91

-6.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$135 $135

$139 $139

-2.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.08 $3.08

-2.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.12 $2.12

-0.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$41.96 $41.96

-42.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.17 $1.17

-26.50%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$34.5K $34.5K

-19.97%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.33%

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

$215 $215

$219 $219

-1.85%

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

$75.8 $75.8

$74.2 $74.2

2.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$70.2 $70.2

-8.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$127 $127

$112 $112

13.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 $14.55

$22.14 $22.14

-34.28%

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

$2,027 $2,027

$3,558 $3,558

-43.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$62.2K $62.2K

-61.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.93 $41.93

$75.6 $75.6

-44.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 $57.6

$51.2 $51.2

12.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 $77.6

$123 $123

-36.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 $84.5

$140 $140

-39.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,927 $2,927

$4,499 $4,499

-34.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,299 $2,299

$3,078 $3,078

-25.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,548 $6,548

$9,447 $9,447

-30.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,918 $4,918

$5,190 $5,190

-5.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,299 $4,299

$18.1K $18.1K

-76.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,727 $3,727

$6,693 $6,693

-44.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,606 $6,606

$5,220 $5,220

26.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.86

-1.60%

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

Last update for Fort Lee, NJ: October 27, 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

Fort Lee, NJ

$2.3K 59%

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3% 33.9% $780

Groceries & Markets

Fort Lee, NJ

$438 11.2%

New York, NY

$563 11.4% 28.6% $125

Eating Out

Fort Lee, NJ

$369 9.5%

New York, NY

$440 8.9% 19.2% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Lee, NJ

$355 9.1%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 2.4% $8.5

Getting Around

Fort Lee, NJ

$159 4.1%

New York, NY

$164 3.3% 3.2% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Lee, NJ

$156 4%

New York, NY

$156 3.2% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Lee, NJ

$118 3%

New York, NY

$175 3.6% 48.9% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ and $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Lee, NJ pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81 in Fort Lee, NJ vs $118 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $563 per month, with Fort Lee, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

19:28 7:28 PM

Same time as Fort Lee, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,008

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Fort Lee, NJ New York, NY 30 km

From you

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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

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

Fort Lee, NJ wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fort Lee, NJ the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Fort Lee, 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: $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $4,499 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,894 per month in Fort Lee, NJ versus $4,941 in New York, NY – Fort Lee, NJ is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Fort Lee, NJ runs roughly 3% less than in New York, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Fort Lee, 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 Fort Lee, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.