Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Lee, NJ and York, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in York, PA: $2,310 a month against $3,937 in Fort Lee, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

189

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lee, NJ
Learn more

Fort Lee, NJ Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in York, PA
Learn more

York, PA Living Index

Jump to prices

Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,937

/mo nomad

York, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fort Lee, NJ and in York, PA

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 York, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,937 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $2,310 in York, PA.

Fort Lee, NJ $3,937
York, PA $2,310

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,241 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $3,475 in York, PA.

Fort Lee, NJ $6,241
York, PA $3,475

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,546 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $4,641 in York, PA.

Fort Lee, NJ $8,546
York, PA $4,641

Living in Fort Lee, NJ is roughly 70% more expensive than in York, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort Lee, NJ 194% above, York, PA 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 $25.14

$15.04 $15.04

67.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.1 $82.1

$74.9 $74.9

9.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 $11.02

$10.19 $10.19

8.15%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.94 $4.94

10.93%

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

$2.23 $2.23

$2.88 $2.88

-22.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.29 $2.29

-30.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.15 $8.15

$4.01 $4.01

103.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.09 $8.09

$5.68 $5.68

42.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

White Bread (500g)

$3.76 $3.76

$4.03 $4.03

-6.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$7.22 $7.22

-7.76%

Eggs

$4.79 $4.79

$5.28 $5.28

-9.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 $12.36

$17.20 $17.20

-28.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.82 $11.82

$15.23 $15.23

-22.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 $17.34

$18.24 $18.24

-4.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$6.85 $6.85

-20.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.30 $2.30

-21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$4.97 $4.97

30.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$5.91 $5.91

-9.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.91 $2.91

36.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.78 $3.78

3.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.55 $2.55

12.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.06 $2.06

36.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.60 $11.60

$13.77 $13.77

-15.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.84 $11.84

$13.42 $13.42

-11.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.92 $1.92

-8.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.78 $3.78

-47.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.75 $1.75

57.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$4.06 $4.06

-27.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.63 $1.63

27.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.65 $23.65

$19.73 $19.73

19.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.96 $0.96

-9.37%

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

$31.9K $31.9K

$30.2K $30.2K

5.83%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.9K $26.9K

-4.36%

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

$214 $214

$207 $207

3.10%

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

$74.4 $74.4

$55.5 $55.5

34.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 $65.4

$79.1 $79.1

-17.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$125 $125

$47.83 $47.83

160.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.95 $34.95

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 $14.61

$11.87 $11.87

23.08%

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

$1,983 $1,983

$1,084 $1,084

82.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$39.3K $39.3K

-38.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.22 $41.22

$50.9 $50.9

-19.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 $56.5

$43.62 $43.62

29.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.4 $77.4

$69.3 $69.3

11.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.5 $85.5

$90.9 $90.9

-5.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,933 $2,933

$1,385 $1,385

111.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 $2,298

$1,008 $1,008

128.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,476 $6,476

$1,946 $1,946

232.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,974 $4,974

$1,707 $1,707

191.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,302 $4,302

$1,856 $1,856

131.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,810 $3,810

$1,825 $1,825

108.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,520 $6,520

$4,015 $4,015

62.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.63

1.81%

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

Last update for Fort Lee, NJ: October 3, 2026

Last update for York, PA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Lee, NJ

$2.3K 59%

York, PA

$1K 43.9% 56.1% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Fort Lee, NJ

$437 11.2%

York, PA

$479 20.9% 9.6% $42

Eating Out

Fort Lee, NJ

$372 9.6%

York, PA

$262 11.4% 29.5% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Lee, NJ

$354 9.1%

York, PA

$342 14.9% 3.3% $12

Getting Around

Fort Lee, NJ

$163 4.2%

York, PA

$19 * 0.8% 88.2% $144

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Lee, NJ

$154 4%

York, PA

$72 3.1% 53.5% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Lee, NJ

$117 3%

York, PA

$115 5% 2.3% $2.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,933 in Fort Lee, NJ and $1,385 in York, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Lee, NJ pays 62% 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: $82.0 in Fort Lee, NJ vs $75.0 in York, PA. Groceries flip the comparison at $437 vs $479, with Fort Lee, NJ cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 York, PA

🕒 Local time

17:34 5:34 PM

Same time as Fort Lee, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,008

44,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fort Lee, NJ York, PA 250 km

From you

Fort Lee, NJ
York, PA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 York, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

York, PA wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making York, PA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 62% 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: $2,933 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $1,385 in York, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,983 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $1,084 in York, PA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in York, PA – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $82.0 in Fort Lee, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,310 in York, PA versus $3,937 in Fort Lee, NJ, a $2,000 budget is realistic in York, PA but tight or insufficient in Fort Lee, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes York, PA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Fort Lee, NJ and York, PA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find York, PA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.