Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and North Brunswick, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in North Brunswick, NJ: $2,641 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,600 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
121

Cost of Living Index in North Brunswick, NJ
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North Brunswick, NJ Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

North Brunswick, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
North Brunswick, NJ $2,641

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,632 in North Brunswick, NJ, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
North Brunswick, NJ $3,632

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $4,623 in North Brunswick, NJ, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
North Brunswick, NJ $4,623

New York, NY costs about 87% more than North Brunswick, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and North Brunswick, NJ sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, North Brunswick, NJ by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$20.38 $20.38

22.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$60.4 $60.4

99.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$12.05 $12.05

14.02%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$3.04 $3.04

117.11%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.68 $2.68

42.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.18 $1.18

143.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$6.64 $6.64

19.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$5.94 $5.94

69.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.11 $1.11

23.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$1.60 $1.60

196.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$5.62 $5.62

36.83%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$4.59 $4.59

27.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$13.21 $13.21

45.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$17.20 $17.20

3.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$15.96 $15.96

19.24%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$3.96 $3.96

68.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.86 $1.86

23.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$4.27 $4.27

50.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$6.02 $6.02

12.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.23 $3.23

21.67%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.37 $3.37

34.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.32 $2.32

20.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.04 $2.04

23.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$14.66 $14.66

23.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$18.04 $18.04

11.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.60 $2.60

25.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.11 $4.11

-8.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.99 $1.99

46.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.81 $2.81

8.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.67 $3.67

-41.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$49.62 $49.62

-16.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.99 $0.99

13.13%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$27.4K $27.4K

20.93%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.5K $26.5K

-2.89%

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

$219 $219

$127 $127

72.74%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$47.32 $47.32

59.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$56.7 $56.7

24.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$47.51 $47.51

143.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$13.03 $13.03

64.01%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,418 $1,418

141.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$23.3K $23.3K

164.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$54.1 $54.1

38.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$50.5 $50.5

3.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$122 $122

-4.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$132 $132

2.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,430 $1,430

203.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,423 $1,423

119.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,221 $2,221

310.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$1,902 $1,902

182.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$2,715 $2,715

610.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,046 $2,046

239.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

7.01

-2.28%

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 North Brunswick, 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%

North Brunswick, NJ

$1.4K 53.9% 54.3% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

North Brunswick, NJ

$427 16.2% 22.7% $125

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

North Brunswick, NJ

$296 11.2% 27.2% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

North Brunswick, NJ

$231 8.8% 36.7% $134

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

North Brunswick, NJ

$161 6.1% 5.2% $8.9

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

North Brunswick, NJ

$29 * 1.1% 82.7% $139

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

North Brunswick, NJ

$74 2.8% 53.5% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,430 in North Brunswick, 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 $120 in New York, NY versus $60.0 in North Brunswick, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $427 – making North Brunswick, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 North Brunswick, NJ

🕒 Local time

23:10 11:10 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

43,905

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New York, NY North Brunswick, NJ 32 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 North Brunswick, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 87% more than North Brunswick, NJ, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,407 per month in New York, NY and $3,962 in North Brunswick, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in North Brunswick, NJ, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ. That's a gap of about 87%.

Kindergarten costs $3,432 per month in New York, NY and $1,418 in North Brunswick, 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 $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. North Brunswick, NJ costs $2,641 versus $4,938 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with North Brunswick, NJ. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.