Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Montclair, NJ: $2,899 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 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
140

Cost of Living Index in Montclair, NJ
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Montclair, NJ Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Montclair, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,899 in Montclair, NJ, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Montclair, NJ $2,899

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,264 in Montclair, NJ, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Montclair, NJ $4,264

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $5,629 in Montclair, NJ, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Montclair, NJ $5,629

New York, NY costs about 70% more than Montclair, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and Montclair, NJ sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Montclair, NJ by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$20.04 $20.04

42.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$80.7 $80.7

46.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$13.14 $13.14

14.46%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$6.35 $6.35

2.83%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.45 $2.45

61.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.46 $1.46

106.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$8.14 $8.14

0.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.17 $7.17

37.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.27 $1.27

7.87%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.48 $4.48

10.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$6.05 $6.05

29.09%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$6.13 $6.13

-2.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.76 $13.76

37.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$10.20 $10.20

76.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$19.41 $19.41

-1.85%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.04 $6.04

11.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.26 $2.26

0.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.22 $4.22

61.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.44 $5.44

30.33%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.14 $3.14

34.39%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.00 $3.00

55.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.90 $2.90

-1.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.71 $2.71

-4.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$14.55 $14.55

29.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.14 $15.14

32.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.86 $1.86

85.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.57 $3.57

12.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.06 $3.06

0.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.19 $2.19

-3.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$42.69 $42.69

-1.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.13 $1.13

3.54%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.6K $27.6K

24.99%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.4K $25.4K

1.63%

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

$219 $219

$170 $170

28.76%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$51.6 $51.6

43.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$50.5 $50.5

38.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$80.8 $80.8

38.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$20.23 $20.23

9.44%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,998 $1,998

78.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$16.2K $16.2K

283.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$70.1 $70.1

7.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$51.0 $51.0

0.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$101 $101

22.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$120 $120

16.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$2,261 $2,261

98.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,540 $1,540

99.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$3,631 $3,631

160.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,557 $2,557

102.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

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 Montclair, NJ: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Montclair, NJ

$1.5K 53.1% 50% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Montclair, NJ

$451 15.6% 19.9% $112

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Montclair, NJ

$347 12% 21.3% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Montclair, NJ

$273 9.4% 25.1% $91

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Montclair, NJ

$154 5.3% 12.3% $22

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Montclair, NJ

$14 * 0.5% 91.5% $150

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Montclair, NJ

$121 4.2% 22.4% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $2,261 in Montclair, NJ. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $81 in Montclair, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $451 – making Montclair, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Montclair, NJ

🕒 Local time

19:13 7:13 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

37,669

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Montclair, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $4,348 in Montclair, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montclair, NJ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,261 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,899 in Montclair, NJ. That makes Montclair, NJ about 41% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,998 in Montclair, NJ. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,899 in Montclair, NJ. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Montclair, NJ – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.