Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Hackensack, NJ: $3,387 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 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
162

Cost of Living Index in Hackensack, NJ
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Hackensack, NJ Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Hackensack, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY versus $3,387 in Hackensack, NJ.

New York, NY $4,941
Hackensack, NJ $3,387

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,225 in New York, NY versus $5,155 in Hackensack, NJ.

New York, NY $7,225
Hackensack, NJ $5,155

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in New York, NY versus $6,923 in Hackensack, NJ.

New York, NY $9,509
Hackensack, NJ $6,923

Living in New York, NY is roughly 46% more expensive than in Hackensack, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Hackensack, NJ 149% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$25.17 $25.17

13.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$98.4 $98.4

20.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$13.09 $13.09

14.90%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.44 $5.44

20.04%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.39 $2.39

65.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.55 $1.55

94.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.83 $7.83

4.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.96 $7.96

23.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.28 $1.28

7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.38 $4.38

13.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$6.08 $6.08

28.45%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$5.93 $5.93

0.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.53 $12.53

50.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$7.97 $7.97

126.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$17.19 $17.19

10.82%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.48 $5.48

23.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.71 $1.71

32.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.30 $4.30

58.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.39 $5.39

31.54%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.12 $3.12

35.26%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.97 $2.97

56.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.81 $2.81

2.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.93 $2.93

-11.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$11.70 $11.70

60.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.82 $14.82

35.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.75 $1.75

97.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.60 $3.60

11.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.60 $3.60

-19.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$59.2 $59.2

134.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.10 $2.10

0.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$24.30 $24.30

72.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.08 $1.08

8.33%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.8K $27.8K

24.11%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.5K $25.5K

1.44%

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

$219 $219

$213 $213

3.23%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$54.2 $54.2

37.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$49.74 $49.74

41.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$45.08 $45.08

148.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$20.12 $20.12

10.04%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,965 $1,965

81.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$16.0K $16.0K

287.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$44.27 $44.27

70.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$56.8 $56.8

-9.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$87.9 $87.9

40.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$102 $102

36.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,356 $2,356

90.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,968 $1,968

56.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$4,211 $4,211

124.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$3,684 $3,684

40.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$3,608 $3,608

401.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$3,238 $3,238

106.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$6,137 $6,137

-14.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.8

0.88%

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 Hackensack, NJ: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Hackensack, NJ

$2K 58.1% 36.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Hackensack, NJ

$423 12.5% 24.9% $140

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Hackensack, NJ

$377 11.1% 14.4% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Hackensack, NJ

$316 9.3% 13% $47

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Hackensack, NJ

$131 3.9% 25.2% $44

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Hackensack, NJ

$87 2.6% 46.9% $77

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Hackensack, NJ

$85 2.5% 45.4% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,499 in New York, NY and $2,356 in Hackensack, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hackensack, NJ pays 18% 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 $98 in Hackensack, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $423 per month, with Hackensack, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Hackensack, NJ

🕒 Local time

14:28 2:28 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

44,756

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New York, NY Hackensack, NJ 30 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Hackensack, NJ wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Hackensack, NJ the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 15% 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 $2,356 in Hackensack, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,558 in New York, NY versus $1,965 in Hackensack, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% 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 $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 at $3,387 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hackensack, NJ hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Hackensack, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.