Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Camden, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Camden, NJ: $2,562 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $28,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Camden, NJ
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Camden, NJ Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Camden, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,562

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Camden, NJ

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,906 in New York, NY versus $2,562 in Camden, NJ.

New York, NY $4,906
Camden, NJ $2,562

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $3,770 in Camden, NJ.

New York, NY $7,273
Camden, NJ $3,770

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,641 in New York, NY versus $4,978 in Camden, NJ.

New York, NY $9,641
Camden, NJ $4,978

Living in New York, NY is roughly 91% more expensive than in Camden, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Camden, NJ 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$19.62 $19.62

37.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$89.6 $89.6

30.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$12.03 $12.03

21.36%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$5.32 $5.32

22.93%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$2.54 $2.54

51.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.30 $2.30

28.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$6.08 $6.08

32.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$8.05 $8.05

22.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.43 $1.43

-8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.51 $3.51

41.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$6.98 $6.98

10.32%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$5.32 $5.32

14.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$12.01 $12.01

62.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$12.39 $12.39

41.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$18.40 $18.40

10.11%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$6.04 $6.04

15.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.52 $1.52

45.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$5.45 $5.45

23.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$5.57 $5.57

27.83%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.04 $3.04

51.64%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.34 $3.34

43.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.55 $2.55

12.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.56 $2.56

5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$12.06 $12.06

58.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$15.22 $15.22

28.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.39 $2.39

38.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.28 $3.28

27.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.73 $1.73

74.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$51.2 $51.2

172.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.65 $2.65

14.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.89 $1.89

16.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$26.28 $26.28

57.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.14 $1.14

-0.88%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$31.3K $31.3K

10.12%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

-0.49%

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

$232 $232

$220 $220

5.85%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$61.1 $61.1

16.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$62.0 $62.0

9.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$45.38 $45.38

154.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$14.77 $14.77

51.73%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$2,073 $2,073

73.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$20.7K $20.7K

231.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$50.4 $50.4

57.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$44.63 $44.63

15.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$104 $104

15.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$122 $122

15.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$1,521 $1,521

199.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,161 $1,161

161.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$2,870 $2,870

239.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$1,838 $1,838

190.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$2,406 $2,406

657.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$2,456 $2,456

172.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$3,234 $3,234

57.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.78

1.62%

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

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Camden, NJ: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Camden, NJ

$1.2K 45.3% 61.8% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Camden, NJ

$446 17.4% 21.3% $121

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Camden, NJ

$323 12.6% 24% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Camden, NJ

$343 13.4% 7.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Camden, NJ

$145 5.6% 18.1% $32

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Camden, NJ

$70 2.7% 57.5% $95

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Camden, NJ

$75 2.9% 53.2% $85

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,555 in New York, NY and $1,521 in Camden, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 58% 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: $117 in New York, NY vs $90 in Camden, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $567 vs $446 per month, with Camden, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Camden, NJ

🕒 Local time

13:31 1:31 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

77,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New York, NY Camden, NJ 110 km

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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 York, NY vs Camden, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $2,562 in Camden, NJ, so Camden, NJ is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 58% higher in New York, 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: $4,555 in New York, NY versus $1,521 in Camden, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Camden, NJ runs roughly 63% less than in New York, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $3,606 in New York, NY versus $2,073 in Camden, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,562 in Camden, NJ versus $4,906 in New York, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Camden, NJ but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Camden, NJ the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Camden, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.