Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Fort Lee, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Lee, NJ: $3,894 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 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
187

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lee, NJ
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Fort Lee, NJ Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,894

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ.

New York, NY $4,941
Fort Lee, NJ $3,894

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $6,154 in Fort Lee, NJ.

New York, NY $7,225
Fort Lee, NJ $6,154

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $8,415 in Fort Lee, NJ.

New York, NY $9,509
Fort Lee, NJ $8,415

Living in New York, NY is roughly 27% more expensive than in Fort Lee, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Fort Lee, NJ 186% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$25.04 $25.04

14.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$81.2 $81.2

45.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$10.95 $10.95

37.35%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.35 $5.35

22.06%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.19 $2.19

80.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.52 $1.52

98.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$8.18 $8.18

-0.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$8.02 $8.02

22.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.33 $1.33

3.01%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.84 $3.84

29.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$6.79 $6.79

15.02%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.63 $4.63

28.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.55 $12.55

50.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$11.86 $11.86

52.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$17.50 $17.50

8.86%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.45 $5.45

24.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.77 $1.77

28.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$6.27 $6.27

8.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.42 $5.42

30.81%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.06 $4.06

3.94%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.92 $3.92

18.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.90 $2.90

-1.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.73 $2.73

-4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.78 $11.78

59.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$11.86 $11.86

69.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.71 $1.71

101.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.03 $2.03

98.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.71 $2.71

7.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$135 $135

3.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.01 $3.01

2.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.10 $2.10

0.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$24.13 $24.13

73.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.86 $0.86

36.05%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.6K $27.6K

24.96%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.5K $26.5K

-2.28%

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

$219 $219

$215 $215

1.88%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$75.8 $75.8

-2.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$64.2 $64.2

9.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$127 $127

-11.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.55 $14.55

52.16%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$2,027 $2,027

75.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$23.8K $23.8K

161.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$41.93 $41.93

80.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$57.6 $57.6

-11.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$77.6 $77.6

58.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$84.5 $84.5

65.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,927 $2,927

53.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$2,299 $2,299

33.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$6,548 $6,548

44.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$4,918 $4,918

5.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$4,299 $4,299

321.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$3,727 $3,727

79.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$6,606 $6,606

-20.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.75

1.63%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fort Lee, NJ: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Fort Lee, NJ

$2.3K 59% 25.3% $780

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Fort Lee, NJ

$438 11.2% 22.3% $125

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Fort Lee, NJ

$369 9.5% 16.1% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Fort Lee, NJ

$355 9.1% 2.3% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Fort Lee, NJ

$118 3% 32.9% $58

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Fort Lee, NJ

$159 4.1% 3.1% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Fort Lee, NJ

$156 4% 0.2% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Lee, NJ pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $118 in New York, NY vs $81 in Fort Lee, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $438 per month, with Fort Lee, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Fort Lee, NJ

🕒 Local time

05:11 5:11 AM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

37,008

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New York, NY Fort Lee, NJ 30 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 Fort Lee, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Lee, NJ wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fort Lee, NJ the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in New York, NY. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $4,941 per month in New York, NY versus $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ – Fort Lee, NJ is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Fort Lee, NJ runs roughly 3% less than in New York, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Fort Lee, 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 Fort Lee, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.