Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Elizabeth, NJ: $3,186 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
156

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY 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 New York, NY and in Elizabeth, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY versus $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ.

New York, NY $4,938
Elizabeth, NJ $3,186

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $4,453 in Elizabeth, NJ.

New York, NY $7,273
Elizabeth, NJ $4,453

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,608 in New York, NY versus $5,720 in Elizabeth, NJ.

New York, NY $9,608
Elizabeth, NJ $5,720

Living in New York, NY is roughly 55% more expensive than in Elizabeth, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 264% above, Elizabeth, NJ 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$19.71 $19.71

26.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$80.4 $80.4

49.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$11.89 $11.89

15.56%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.45 $5.45

21.10%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.43 $2.43

57.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.49 $1.49

92.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$7.78 $7.78

2.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$7.15 $7.15

40.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.27 $1.27

7.87%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$4.50 $4.50

5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$5.96 $5.96

29.03%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$6.52 $6.52

-9.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$15.31 $15.31

25.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$11.83 $11.83

50.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$19.73 $19.73

-3.55%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$5.95 $5.95

12.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$3.55 $3.55

-35.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$4.20 $4.20

52.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$5.42 $5.42

24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.99 $2.99

31.44%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.95 $2.95

53.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.00 $3.00

-7.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.52 $2.52

-0.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$14.62 $14.62

23.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$15.29 $15.29

31.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.70 $2.70

20.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.41 $3.41

9.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.88 $2.88

1.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

$76.0 $76.0

87.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.92 $2.92

4.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.11 $2.11

2.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$42.39 $42.39

-2.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.09 $1.09

2.75%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$27.9K $27.9K

18.55%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

-2.20%

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

$219 $219

$247 $247

-11.34%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$51.0 $51.0

47.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$50.1 $50.1

40.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$24.78 $24.78

366.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$20.03 $20.03

6.69%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$2,012 $2,012

70.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$16.2K $16.2K

281.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$49.63 $49.63

50.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$77.6 $77.6

-32.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$87.9 $87.9

32.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$122 $122

10.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$2,181 $2,181

99.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,718 $1,718

81.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,668 $2,668

241.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$2,492 $2,492

115.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$1,297 $1,297

1386.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$1,143 $1,143

507.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$3,997 $3,997

31.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.67

2.70%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Last update for Elizabeth, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Elizabeth, NJ

$1.7K 53.9% 44.9% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Elizabeth, NJ

$475 14.9% 14% $77

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Elizabeth, NJ

$328 10.3% 19.5% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Elizabeth, NJ

$348 10.9% 4.6% $17

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Elizabeth, NJ

$152 4.8% 11% $19

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Elizabeth, NJ

$101 3.2% 40% $67

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Elizabeth, NJ

$65 2% 59% $93

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,347 in New York, NY and $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 31% 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: $120 in New York, NY vs $80.0 in Elizabeth, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $552 vs $475 per month, with Elizabeth, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Elizabeth, NJ

🕒 Local time

03:38 3:38 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

126,179

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New York, NY Elizabeth, NJ 4 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 Elizabeth, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY and Elizabeth, NJ differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($4,938 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 31% 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: $4,347 in New York, NY versus $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,432 in New York, NY versus $2,012 in Elizabeth, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

Expats usually find Elizabeth, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.