Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Heerlen and Clifton, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Heerlen: $2,255 a month against $2,771 in Clifton, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Heerlen
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Heerlen Living Index
135

Cost of Living Index in Clifton, NJ
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Clifton, NJ Living Index

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Heerlen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,255

/mo nomad

Clifton, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Heerlen and in Clifton, NJ

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

A single person spends $2,255 per month in Heerlen vs $2,771 in Clifton, NJ, rent included.

Heerlen $2,255
Clifton, NJ $2,771

A couple spends around $3,463 per month in Heerlen vs $4,035 in Clifton, NJ, rent included.

Heerlen $3,463
Clifton, NJ $4,035

A family of three spends $4,672 per month in Heerlen vs $5,299 in Clifton, NJ, rent included.

Heerlen $4,672
Clifton, NJ $5,299

Heerlen is about 19% cheaper than Clifton, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Heerlen and Clifton, NJ sit above the global median – Heerlen by 66%, Clifton, NJ by 105%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.76 €21.13

$22.14 $22.14

7.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.9 €87.0

$78.7 $78.7

24.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.01 €16.90

$12.83 $12.83

48.17%

Cappuccino

$4.09 €3.64

$6.41 $6.41

-36.19%

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

$3.24 €2.88

$2.44 $2.44

32.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.03

$1.79 $1.79

27.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 €5.42

$7.91 $7.91

-23.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 €4.97

$7.05 $7.05

-20.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.33 $1.33

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.15

$4.61 $4.61

-47.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$6.09 $6.09

-58.29%

Eggs

$4.47 €3.97

$5.80 $5.80

-22.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 €10.43

$13.90 $13.90

-15.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.00 €12.45

$10.09 $10.09

38.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.91

$18.68 $18.68

-4.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$5.92 $5.92

-61.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.34 $2.34

7.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$6.21 $6.21

-66.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 €3.84

$5.26 $5.26

-17.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$3.52 $3.52

-47.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$4.34 $4.34

-51.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.24

$3.13 $3.13

-55.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$2.63 $2.63

-68.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.87 €12.34

$15.06 $15.06

-7.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 €6.41

$15.21 $15.21

-52.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.79 $1.79

-21.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.37

$3.63 $3.63

-26.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.60 €3.20

$4.30 $4.30

-16.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.8 €53.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 €5.58

$2.95 $2.95

112.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 €1.50

$2.19 $2.19

-22.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.38 €19.91

$42.36 $42.36

-47.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 €2.19

$1.13 $1.13

117.70%

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

$29.7K €26.4K

$33.1K $33.1K

-10.37%

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

$35.0K €31.1K

$25.6K $25.6K

36.87%

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

$191 €170

$219 $219

-12.69%

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

$26.36 €23.45

$50.7 $50.7

-47.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 €49.78

$66.5 $66.5

-15.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.46 €31.54

$29.05 $29.05

22.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.63 €24.58

Cinema Ticket

$13.40 €11.92

$20.63 $20.63

-35.05%

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

$671 €597

$1,967 $1,967

-65.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,507 €4,898

$16.3K $16.3K

-66.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 €88.6

$31.73 $31.73

213.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.56 €44.08

$20.32 $20.32

143.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.1

$109 $109

-7.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$193 €172

$138 $138

40.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 €996

$1,348 $1,348

-16.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$938 €834

$1,376 $1,376

-31.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,913 €1,701

$2,860 $2,860

-33.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 €1,411

$2,215 $2,215

-28.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,938 €3,502

$8,457 $8,457

-53.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,810 €2,500

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,947 €2,622

$4,324 $4,324

-31.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.35

6.8

-36.03%

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

Last update for Heerlen: October 18, 2026

Last update for Clifton, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Heerlen

$938 41.6%

Clifton, NJ

$1.4K 49.7% 46.7% $438

Eating Out

Heerlen

$360 16%

Clifton, NJ

$363 13.1% 0.9% $3.1

Groceries & Markets

Heerlen

$333 14.8%

Clifton, NJ

$460 16.6% 38.2% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Heerlen

$274 12.1%

Clifton, NJ

$336 12.1% 22.9% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Heerlen

$200 8.9%

Clifton, NJ

$135 4.9% 32.6% $65

Getting Around

Heerlen

$89 3.9%

Clifton, NJ

$31 * 1.1% 65% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Heerlen

$62 2.8%

Clifton, NJ

$70 2.5% 12.9% $8.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,120 in Heerlen versus $1,348 in Clifton, NJ. 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 47% higher in Clifton, NJ, 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 $98.0 in Heerlen versus $79.0 in Clifton, NJ. Groceries tell a different story – $333 in Heerlen vs $460 in Clifton, NJ – so Heerlen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Heerlen

🇺🇸 Clifton, NJ

🕒 Local time

21:20 9:20 PM

15:20 3:20 PM

6 h behind Heerlen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,086

79,606

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Heerlen Clifton, NJ 5,990 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Heerlen
Clifton, 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

Heerlen vs Clifton, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,255 in Heerlen, $2,771 in Clifton, NJ – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,383 per month in Heerlen and $4,157 in Clifton, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Heerlen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,255 in Heerlen and $2,771 in Clifton, NJ. That's a gap of about 23%.

Kindergarten costs $671 per month in Heerlen and $1,967 in Clifton, NJ. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Heerlen, where all-in costs run around $2,255, than in Clifton, NJ at $2,771. In Heerlen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Clifton, NJ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Heerlen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Heerlen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Clifton, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.