Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hackensack, NJ and Surrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Surrey: $2,298 a month against $3,394 in Hackensack, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hackensack, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$3,394
/mo nomad
Surrey
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,298
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hackensack, NJ and in Surrey

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hackensack, NJ and in Surrey actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,394 in Hackensack, NJ versus $2,298 in Surrey.

  • Hackensack, NJ $3,394
  • Surrey $2,298

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,126 in Hackensack, NJ versus $3,545 in Surrey.

  • Hackensack, NJ $5,126
  • Surrey $3,545

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,858 in Hackensack, NJ versus $4,792 in Surrey.

  • Hackensack, NJ $6,858
  • Surrey $4,792

Living in Hackensack, NJ is roughly 48% more expensive than in Surrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hackensack, NJ 150% above, Surrey 70% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hackensack, NJ
Surrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.44 $25.44
$17.78 CA$25.13
43.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.1 $98.1
$56.7 CA$80.2
73.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.92 $12.92
$9.97 CA$14.10
29.59%
Cappuccino
$5.62 $5.62
$3.45 CA$4.88
62.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$2.05 CA$2.90
14.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.49 CA$2.11
2.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.82 $7.82
$5.93 CA$8.38
31.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.15 $8.15
$5.74 CA$8.12
41.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hackensack, NJ
Surrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 $1.32
$2.40 CA$3.40
-45.00%
White Bread (500g)
$4.21 $4.21
$2.13 CA$3.01
97.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.03 $6.03
$3.65 CA$5.16
65.21%
Eggs
$5.67 $5.67
$3.25 CA$4.60
74.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.33 $12.33
$9.96 CA$14.08
23.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.91 $7.91
$10.52 CA$14.87
-24.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.53 $17.53
$19.84 CA$28.05
-11.64%
Apples (1kg)
$5.50 $5.50
$3.17 CA$4.49
73.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.79 $1.79
$1.29 CA$1.83
38.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.29 $4.29
$2.88 CA$4.08
48.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.20 $5.20
$3.05 CA$4.31
70.49%
Potato (1kg)
$2.98 $2.98
$2.55 CA$3.60
16.86%
Onion (1kg)
$2.97 $2.97
$2.07 CA$2.92
43.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.77 $2.77
$2.06 CA$2.91
34.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.83 $2.83
$1.82 CA$2.57
55.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.63 $11.63
$13.89 CA$19.64
-16.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.81 $14.81
$14.25 CA$20.15
3.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 $1.76
$2.57 CA$3.64
-31.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 $3.67
$3.20 CA$4.53
14.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Hackensack, NJ
Surrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.41 $3.41
$2.59 CA$3.66
31.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$59.1 $59.1
$106 CA$150
-44.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.05 $3.05
$2.69 CA$3.80
13.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.00 $2.00
$1.56 CA$2.20
28.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.05 $24.05
$27.91 CA$39.45
-13.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.35 CA$1.91
-17.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K $27.4K
$27.8K CA$39.4K
-1.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$21.5K CA$30.5K
20.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hackensack, NJ
Surrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$209 $209
$188 CA$266
10.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.5 $54.5
$36.36 CA$51.4
49.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.7 $50.7
$63.9 CA$90.3
-20.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hackensack, NJ
Surrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.66 $44.66
$34.86 CA$49.28
28.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$25.11 CA$35.49
-
Cinema Ticket
$20.05 $20.05
$12.36 CA$17.48
62.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hackensack, NJ
Surrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,413 $1,413
$838 CA$1,185
68.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K $16.1K
$11.9K CA$16.9K
35.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hackensack, NJ
Surrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.71 $42.71
$55.5 CA$78.5
-23.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.4 $58.4
$61.5 CA$87.0
-5.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.6 $87.6
$98.5 CA$139
-11.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 $101
$88.6 CA$125
13.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hackensack, NJ
Surrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,359 $2,359
$1,305 CA$1,844
80.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,980 $1,980
$1,062 CA$1,502
86.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,276 $4,276
$2,674 CA$3,780
59.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,630 $3,630
$2,121 CA$2,998
71.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,564 $3,564
$9,582 CA$13.5K
-62.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,337 $3,337
$8,397 CA$11.9K
-60.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hackensack, NJ
Surrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,253 $6,253
$3,142 CA$4,442
99.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.8
4.87
39.63%

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

Last update for Hackensack, NJ: October 20, 2026

Last update for Surrey: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hackensack, NJ
$2K
Surrey
$1.1K 46.4% $918
Groceries & Markets
Hackensack, NJ
$418
Surrey
$355 15.1% $63
Eating Out
Hackensack, NJ
$381
Surrey
$269 29.4% $112
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hackensack, NJ
$314
Surrey
$289 8% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Hackensack, NJ
$130
Surrey
$137 5.1% $6.7
Getting Around
Hackensack, NJ
$86
Surrey
$127 47.9% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Hackensack, NJ
$85
Surrey
$60 29.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,359 in Hackensack, NJ and $1,305 in Surrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hackensack, NJ pays 99% 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: $98.0 in Hackensack, NJ vs $57.0 in Surrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $418 vs $355 per month, with Surrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Hackensack, NJ
🇨🇦 Surrey
🕒 Local time
06:16 6:16 AM
03:16 3:16 AM
3 h behind Hackensack, NJ
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
44,756
517,887
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hackensack, NJ Surrey 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hackensack, NJ
  • Surrey

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
Hackensack, NJ vs Surrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Hackensack, NJ or Surrey?
Surrey wins on cost – living expenses run 48% 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.
Are salaries higher in Hackensack, NJ or in Surrey?
Average pay runs 99% higher in Hackensack, NJ, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Hackensack, NJ compared to Surrey?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,359 in Hackensack, NJ versus $1,305 in Surrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Hackensack, NJ and in Surrey?
Childcare runs $1,413 in Hackensack, NJ versus $838 in Surrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Hackensack, NJ or in Surrey?
Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Hackensack, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Hackensack, NJ or in Surrey?
At $2,298 in Surrey versus $3,394 in Hackensack, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Surrey but tight or insufficient in Hackensack, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Surrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Hackensack, NJ or Surrey?
Both work as nomad bases, but Surrey delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,298 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Surrey hard to pass up.
How safe is Hackensack, NJ compared to Surrey?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Surrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Hackensack, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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