Cost of Living Comparison Between Hackensack, NJ and Surrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Hackensack, NJ and Surrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,958 in Hackensack, NJ versus $2,711 in Surrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,654 in Hackensack, NJ versus $4,087 in Surrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,351 in Hackensack, NJ versus $5,462 in Surrey.

Living in Hackensack, NJ is roughly 9% more expensive than Surrey, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hackensack, NJ 121% above, Surrey 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.74 $19.74

$18.30 CA$25.53

7.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$81.4 CA$114

23.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.25 $14.25

$10.87 CA$15.15

31.09%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$4.20 CA$5.85

26.67%

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

$2.37 $2.37

$2.13 CA$2.97

11.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.74 CA$2.43

10.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 $7.15

$5.84 CA$8.14

22.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.94 $8.94

$6.81 CA$9.50

31.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.61 CA$3.64

-51.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.81 $3.81

$2.63 CA$3.66

44.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$5.39 CA$7.52

-2.23%

Eggs

$4.79 $4.79

$3.72 CA$5.19

28.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.09 $14.09

$10.28 CA$14.33

37.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.29 $10.29

$11.63 CA$16.21

-11.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 $17.43

$24.42 CA$34.05

-28.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$3.44 CA$4.80

45.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.34 CA$1.88

32.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.12 CA$4.35

25.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.45 CA$4.81

19.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.36 CA$3.28

16.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.07 CA$2.89

27.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.51 CA$3.50

-1.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.93 CA$2.69

38.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 $11.83

$14.88 CA$20.75

-20.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.60 CA$20.36

3.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$4.00 CA$5.57

-57.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 $4.29

$4.01 CA$5.59

6.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.18 CA$4.44

11.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 $60.7

$127 CA$176

-52.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.69 CA$3.76

14.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.50 CA$2.09

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.46 $24.46

$28.96 CA$40.39

-15.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.32 CA$1.84

-31.06%

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

$23.4K $23.4K

$25.0K CA$34.8K

-6.47%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$21.0K CA$29.3K

21.83%

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

$212 $212

$192 CA$268

10.08%

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

$53.9 $53.9

$42.16 CA$58.8

27.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 $58.2

$66.8 CA$93.1

-12.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.75 $45.75

$44.80 CA$62.5

2.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.19 CA$25.36

Cinema Ticket

$20.34 $20.34

$12.65 CA$17.64

60.79%

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

$1,393 $1,393

$903 CA$1,259

54.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$12.7K CA$17.7K

26.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.02 $49.02

$54.9 CA$76.6

-10.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 $63.1

$52.9 CA$73.8

19.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 $88.2

$104 CA$145

-15.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 $98.6

$96.3 CA$134

2.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,772 $1,772

$1,629 CA$2,272

8.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,634 $1,634

$1,400 CA$1,952

16.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 $3,390

$3,102 CA$4,325

9.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,271 $3,271

$2,490 CA$3,472

31.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,570 $3,570

$9,842 CA$13.7K

-63.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,240 $3,240

$8,780 CA$12.2K

-63.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,265 $6,265

$3,088 CA$4,306

102.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.54

1.22%

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

Last update for Hackensack, NJ: June 1, 2026

Last update for Surrey: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,772 in Hackensack, NJ and $1,629 in Surrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hackensack, NJ pays 103% 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: $101 in Hackensack, NJ vs $81.0 in Surrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $412 vs $408 per month, with Surrey cheaper across the board.

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

Hackensack, NJ vs Surrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surrey wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Hackensack, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Surrey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Hackensack, NJ pays 103% more on average, 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: $1,772 in Hackensack, NJ versus $1,629 in Surrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,393 in Hackensack, NJ versus $903 in Surrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Hackensack, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Surrey is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Surrey delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,711 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Surrey hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hackensack, NJ and Surrey 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 Surrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Hackensack, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.