Cost of Living Comparison Between New City, NY and Hackensack, NJ Cost of Living Comparison Between New City, NY and Hackensack, NJ

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,560 in New City, NY versus $3,010 in Hackensack, NJ.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,333 in New City, NY versus $4,734 in Hackensack, NJ.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,107 in New City, NY versus $6,457 in Hackensack, NJ.

Living in New City, NY is roughly 51% more expensive than in Hackensack, NJ, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New City, NY 232% above, Hackensack, NJ 119% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 $13.81

$25.19 $25.19

-45.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.6 $83.6

$99.8 $99.8

-16.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 $10.96

$13.09 $13.09

-16.27%

Cappuccino

$5.44 $5.44

$5.50 $5.50

-1.09%

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

$2.15 $2.15

$2.30 $2.30

-6.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.55 $1.55

1.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$7.91 $7.91

-0.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 $8.06

$7.86 $7.86

2.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.27 $1.27

0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.71 $3.71

5.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.45 $6.45

$6.15 $6.15

4.88%

Eggs

$5.57 $5.57

$5.62 $5.62

-0.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.28 $12.28

$12.23 $12.23

0.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 $11.86

$7.76 $7.76

52.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.42 $17.42

$17.09 $17.09

1.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$5.38 $5.38

1.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.71 $1.71

-25.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$4.19 $4.19

47.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.91 $4.91

0.20%

Potato (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$3.10 $3.10

76.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$3.61 $3.61

7.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.77 $2.77

-14.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.81 $2.81

-59.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.37 $11.37

$11.46 $11.46

-0.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.93 $9.93

$15.11 $15.11

-34.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.68 $1.68

1.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 $5.46

$3.61 $3.61

51.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.44 $3.44

-20.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$125 $125

$59.1 $59.1

111.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.97 $2.97

2.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 $2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.92 $23.92

$23.62 $23.62

1.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.07 $1.07

-3.74%

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

$32.2K $32.2K

$35.1K $35.1K

-8.45%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$24.9K $24.9K

0.84%

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

$196 $196

$208 $208

-5.67%

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

$78.9 $78.9

$54.1 $54.1

45.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.3 $67.3

$50.6 $50.6

32.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.68 $44.68

Cinema Ticket

$14.66 $14.66

$20.11 $20.11

-27.10%

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

$1,987 $1,987

$1,396 $1,396

42.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$16.0K $16.0K

45.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.59 $41.59

$42.88 $42.88

-3.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 $56.5

$57.9 $57.9

-2.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 $70.7

$88.1 $88.1

-19.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 $150

$104 $104

43.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,052 $3,052

$1,802 $1,802

69.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,251 $3,251

$1,642 $1,642

98.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,575 $5,575

$3,414 $3,414

63.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,192 $5,192

$3,313 $3,313

56.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,606 $3,606

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,239 $3,239

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,255 $8,255

$6,255 $6,255

31.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

6.3

-2.06%

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

Last update for New City, NY: August 31, 2026

Last update for Hackensack, NJ: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,052 in New City, NY and $1,802 in Hackensack, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New City, NY pays 32% 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: $84.0 in New City, NY vs $100 in Hackensack, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $419 vs $409, with Hackensack, NJ cheaper for home cooking.

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

New City, NY vs Hackensack, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hackensack, NJ wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in New City, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hackensack, NJ the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% higher in New City, NY, 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: $3,052 in New City, NY versus $1,802 in Hackensack, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,987 in New City, NY versus $1,396 in Hackensack, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in New City, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Hackensack, NJ 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 Hackensack, NJ delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,010 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hackensack, NJ hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, New City, NY and Hackensack, 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 Hackensack, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in New City, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.