Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Somerset, NJ: $3,962 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
190

Cost of Living Index in Somerset, NJ
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Somerset, NJ Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Somerset, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,962

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $3,962 in Somerset, NJ, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Somerset, NJ $3,962

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $4,428 in Somerset, NJ, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Somerset, NJ $4,428

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,895 in Somerset, NJ, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Somerset, NJ $4,895

New York, NY costs about 25% more than Somerset, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New York, NY and Somerset, NJ sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Somerset, NJ by 191%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$17.73 $17.73

61.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$39.35 $39.35

201.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$7.91 $7.91

90.14%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.03 $5.03

29.82%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$1.96 $1.96

102.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.54 $1.54

95.45%

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

$6.96 $6.96

41.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.26 $1.26

8.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.47 $4.47

11.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$5.95 $5.95

31.26%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$2.05 $2.05

191.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.03 $13.03

45.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$10.40 $10.40

73.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$20.19 $20.19

-5.65%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.94 $5.94

13.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$3.48 $3.48

-34.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.22 $4.22

61.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.43 $5.43

30.57%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.12 $3.12

35.26%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.06 $3.06

51.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.45 $2.45

17.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$3.05 $3.05

-14.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$15.01 $15.01

25.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.77 $14.77

36.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.85 $1.85

86.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.47 $3.47

15.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.06 $2.06

41.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$67.2 $67.2

106.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.92 $2.92

5.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.21 $2.21

-4.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$41.53 $41.53

1.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.09 $1.09

7.34%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.9K $27.9K

23.41%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.3K $26.3K

-1.83%

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

$219 $219

$169 $169

29.50%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$51.7 $51.7

43.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$50.5 $50.5

39.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$40.94 $40.94

173.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$20.65 $20.65

7.22%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$2,040 $2,040

74.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$15.7K $15.7K

295.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$49.81 $49.81

51.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.80 $40.80

25.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$85.8 $85.8

43.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$104 $104

33.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,581 $1,581

184.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$2,655 $2,655

15.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,533 $2,533

273.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,142 $2,142

142.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,682 $2,682

575.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$2,400 $2,400

178.81%

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 Somerset, 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%

Somerset, NJ

$2.7K 67% 13.8% $424

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Somerset, NJ

$443 11.2% 21.3% $120

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Somerset, NJ

$295 7.4% 33.1% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Somerset, NJ

$272 6.9% 25.4% $92

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Somerset, NJ

$126 3.2% 27.9% $49

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Somerset, NJ

$89 2.3% 45.6% $75

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Somerset, NJ

$82 2.1% 47.4% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,581 in Somerset, 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 $39 in Somerset, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $443 – making Somerset, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Somerset, NJ

🕒 Local time

16:39 4:39 PM

Same time as New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

11,924

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Somerset, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 25% more than Somerset, NJ, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $5,943 in Somerset, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Somerset, NJ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,581 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $2,040 in Somerset, NJ. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,941 in New York, NY and $3,962 in Somerset, NJ. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Somerset, NJ is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 20% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.