Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Freehold, NJ: $2,576 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $28,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Freehold, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$2,576
/mo nomad
New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,938
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,576 per month in Freehold, NJ vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Freehold, NJ $2,576
  • New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $3,615 per month in Freehold, NJ vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Freehold, NJ $3,615
  • New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $4,655 per month in Freehold, NJ vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Freehold, NJ $4,655
  • New York, NY $9,608

Freehold, NJ is about 48% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Freehold, NJ and New York, NY sit above the global median – Freehold, NJ by 90%, New York, NY by 264%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Freehold, NJ
New York, NY
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.87 $19.87
$24.99 $24.99
-20.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.9 $69.9
$120 $120
-41.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.57 $11.57
$13.74 $13.74
-15.79%
Cappuccino
$4.54 $4.54
$6.60 $6.60
-31.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 $2.29
$3.82 $3.82
-40.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 $1.93
$2.87 $2.87
-32.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.94 $5.94
$7.95 $7.95
-25.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.59 $6.59
$10.06 $10.06
-34.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Freehold, NJ
New York, NY
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.06 $1.06
$1.37 $1.37
-22.63%
White Bread (500g)
$3.54 $3.54
$4.75 $4.75
-25.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.26 $4.26
$7.69 $7.69
-44.60%
Eggs
$4.20 $4.20
$5.87 $5.87
-28.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.58 $12.58
$19.25 $19.25
-34.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.65 $11.65
$17.83 $17.83
-34.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.26 $17.26
$19.03 $19.03
-9.30%
Apples (1kg)
$4.93 $4.93
$6.69 $6.69
-26.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 $1.63
$2.29 $2.29
-28.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$6.41 $6.41
-32.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.77 $4.77
$6.75 $6.75
-29.33%
Potato (1kg)
$2.80 $2.80
$3.93 $3.93
-28.75%
Onion (1kg)
$2.96 $2.96
$4.52 $4.52
-34.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.17 $2.17
$2.79 $2.79
-22.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$2.51 $2.51
-11.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.79 $9.79
$18.10 $18.10
-45.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.75 $14.75
$20.16 $20.16
-26.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 $1.94
$3.26 $3.26
-40.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 $3.39
$3.75 $3.75
-9.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Freehold, NJ
New York, NY
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.94 $1.94
$2.92 $2.92
-33.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$143 $143
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.06 $3.06
$3.06 $3.06
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 $1.49
$2.16 $2.16
-31.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.01 $34.01
$41.33 $41.33
-17.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.05 $1.05
$1.12 $1.12
-6.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.9K $28.9K
$33.1K $33.1K
-12.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K $23.9K
$25.7K $25.7K
-6.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Freehold, NJ
New York, NY
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$175 $175
$219 $219
-20.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$57.8 $57.8
$75.3 $75.3
-23.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.4 $69.4
$70.5 $70.5
-1.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Freehold, NJ
New York, NY
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.49 $41.49
$116 $116
-64.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$67.6 $67.6
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.77 $13.77
$21.37 $21.37
-35.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Freehold, NJ
New York, NY
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,382 $1,382
$3,432 $3,432
-59.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.4K $23.4K
$61.7K $61.7K
-62.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Freehold, NJ
New York, NY
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.2 $54.2
$74.9 $74.9
-27.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.56 $41.56
$52.1 $52.1
-20.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.3 $90.3
$117 $117
-22.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 $115
$135 $135
-14.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Freehold, NJ
New York, NY
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,611 $1,611
$4,347 $4,347
-62.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,344 $1,344
$3,117 $3,117
-56.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,487 $2,487
$9,110 $9,110
-72.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,928 $1,928
$5,379 $5,379
-64.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,677 $2,677
$19.3K $19.3K
-86.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,416 $2,416
$6,943 $6,943
-65.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Freehold, NJ
New York, NY
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,864 $3,864
$5,238 $5,238
-26.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.57
6.85
-4.09%

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

Last update for Freehold, NJ: October 20, 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
Freehold, NJ
$1.3K
New York, NY
$3.1K 132% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
Freehold, NJ
$399
New York, NY
$552 38.5% $153
Eating Out
Freehold, NJ
$308
New York, NY
$407 32.2% $99
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Freehold, NJ
$302
New York, NY
$365 20.8% $63
Clothing & Footwear
Freehold, NJ
$136
New York, NY
$170 25.6% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Freehold, NJ
$69
New York, NY
$158 129% $89
Getting Around
Freehold, NJ
$18 *
New York, NY
$168 821% $150

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,611 in Freehold, NJ versus $4,347 in New York, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 36% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Freehold, NJ versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $552 – making Freehold, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Freehold, NJ
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🕒 Local time
23:07 11:07 PM
23:07 11:07 PM
Same time as Freehold, NJ
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,394
8,804,190
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Freehold, NJ New York, NY 43 km
From you
  • Freehold, NJ
  • New York, NY

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
Freehold, NJ vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is New York, NY cheaper than Freehold, NJ?
Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,863 per month in Freehold, NJ and $7,407 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Freehold, NJ, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Freehold, NJ or in New York, NY?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Freehold, NJ and $120 in New York, NY. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Freehold, NJ and in New York, NY?
Groceries cost about 38% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Freehold, NJ or in New York, NY?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,576 in Freehold, NJ and $4,938 in New York, NY. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Freehold, NJ or New York, NY more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Freehold, NJ – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Freehold, NJ. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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