Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hayward, CA and Elizabeth, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Elizabeth, NJ: $3,186 a month against $3,419 in Hayward, CA, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hayward, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

166

Cost of Living Index in Hayward, CA
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Hayward, CA Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth, NJ
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Elizabeth, NJ Living Index

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Hayward, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,419

/mo nomad

Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hayward, CA and in Elizabeth, NJ

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,419 in Hayward, CA versus $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ.

Hayward, CA $3,419
Elizabeth, NJ $3,186

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,664 in Hayward, CA versus $4,453 in Elizabeth, NJ.

Hayward, CA $4,664
Elizabeth, NJ $4,453

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,908 in Hayward, CA versus $5,720 in Elizabeth, NJ.

Hayward, CA $5,908
Elizabeth, NJ $5,720

Living in Hayward, CA is roughly 7% more expensive than in Elizabeth, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hayward, CA 152% above, Elizabeth, NJ 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.98 $19.98

$19.71 $19.71

1.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$80.4 $80.4

-5.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 $10.48

$11.89 $11.89

-11.86%

Cappuccino

$4.89 $4.89

$5.45 $5.45

-10.28%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$2.43 $2.43

23.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.49 $1.49

53.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$7.78 $7.78

-24.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 $7.34

$7.15 $7.15

2.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.27 $1.27

-0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 $1.83

$4.50 $4.50

-59.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$5.96 $5.96

-2.35%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$6.52 $6.52

-9.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.81 $26.81

$15.31 $15.31

75.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.35 $7.35

$11.83 $11.83

-37.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.45 $22.45

$19.73 $19.73

13.79%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$5.95 $5.95

17.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$3.55 $3.55

-29.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$4.20 $4.20

45.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$5.42 $5.42

88.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.99 $2.99

19.73%

Onion (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$2.95 $2.95

64.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.00 $3.00

-16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.52 $2.52

27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 $11.87

$14.62 $14.62

-18.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 $12.90

$15.29 $15.29

-15.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.70 $2.70

-37.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.41 $3.41

-17.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.88 $2.88

-21.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 $76.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.92 $2.92

18.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.11 $2.11

-10.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.22 $40.22

$42.39 $42.39

-5.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.09 $1.09

30.28%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$27.9K $27.9K

0.32%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$26.3K $26.3K

-3.03%

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

$183 $183

$247 $247

-26.19%

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

$42.35 $42.35

$51.0 $51.0

-16.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 $77.2

$50.1 $50.1

54.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 $55.9

$24.78 $24.78

125.67%

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 $14.92

$20.03 $20.03

-25.51%

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

$1,236 $1,236

$2,012 $2,012

-38.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.7K $34.7K

$16.2K $16.2K

114.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 $50.6

$49.63 $49.63

1.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.0 $71.0

$77.6 $77.6

-8.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.8 $73.8

$87.9 $87.9

-16.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$122 $122

-2.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 $1,870

$2,181 $2,181

-14.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 $2,056

$1,718 $1,718

19.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,440 $3,440

$2,668 $2,668

28.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,853 $2,853

$2,492 $2,492

14.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,446 $7,446

$1,297 $1,297

473.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,826 $6,826

$1,143 $1,143

497.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,559 $4,559

$3,997 $3,997

14.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.15

6.67

-7.80%

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

Last update for Hayward, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Elizabeth, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hayward, CA

$2.1K 60.1%

Elizabeth, NJ

$1.7K 53.9% 16.5% $339

Groceries & Markets

Hayward, CA

$497 14.5%

Elizabeth, NJ

$475 14.9% 4.4% $22

Eating Out

Hayward, CA

$315 9.2%

Elizabeth, NJ

$328 10.3% 3.9% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hayward, CA

$302 8.8%

Elizabeth, NJ

$348 10.9% 15.3% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Hayward, CA

$141 4.1%

Elizabeth, NJ

$152 4.8% 7.3% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Hayward, CA

$86 2.5%

Elizabeth, NJ

$65 2% 24.4% $21

Getting Around

Hayward, CA

$22 * 0.6%

Elizabeth, NJ

$101 3.2% 361% $79

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 $1,870 in Hayward, CA and $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hayward, CA pays 14% 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: $76.0 in Hayward, CA vs $80.0 in Elizabeth, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $497 vs $475, with Elizabeth, NJ cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hayward, CA

🇺🇸 Elizabeth, NJ

🕒 Local time

23:01 11:01 PM

02:01 2:01 AM

3 h ahead of Hayward, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,203

126,179

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Hayward, CA Elizabeth, NJ 4,090 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hayward, CA
Elizabeth, NJ

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

Hayward, CA vs Elizabeth, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hayward, CA and Elizabeth, NJ differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($3,419 vs $3,186 including rent). Elizabeth, NJ is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Hayward, CA, 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: $1,870 in Hayward, CA versus $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Hayward, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,419 per month in Hayward, CA versus $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Elizabeth, 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.

Safety-wise, Hayward, CA and Elizabeth, NJ 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 Elizabeth, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Hayward, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.