Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

121

Cost of Living Index in North Brunswick, NJ
Learn more

North Brunswick, NJ Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

North Brunswick, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,641

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in North Brunswick, NJ and in New York, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in North Brunswick, NJ and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

North Brunswick, NJ is about 47% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.38 $20.38

$24.99 $24.99

-18.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.4 $60.4

$120 $120

-49.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$13.74 $13.74

-12.30%

Cappuccino

$3.04 $3.04

$6.60 $6.60

-53.94%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$3.82 $3.82

-29.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.87 $2.87

-58.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 $6.64

$7.95 $7.95

-16.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 $5.94

$10.06 $10.06

-40.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.37 $1.37

-18.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$4.75 $4.75

-66.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$7.69 $7.69

-26.92%

Eggs

$4.59 $4.59

$5.87 $5.87

-21.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.21 $13.21

$19.25 $19.25

-31.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.20 $17.20

$17.83 $17.83

-3.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$19.03 $19.03

-16.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$6.69 $6.69

-40.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.29 $2.29

-18.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$6.41 $6.41

-33.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.02 $6.02

$6.75 $6.75

-10.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$3.93 $3.93

-17.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.52 $4.52

-25.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.79 $2.79

-16.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.51 $2.51

-18.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.66 $14.66

$18.10 $18.10

-19.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.04 $18.04

$20.16 $20.16

-10.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$3.26 $3.26

-20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.75 $3.75

9.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.92 $2.92

-31.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.06 $3.06

-8.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.67 $3.67

$2.16 $2.16

69.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.62 $49.62

$41.33 $41.33

20.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.12 $1.12

-11.61%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$33.1K $33.1K

-17.31%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$25.7K $25.7K

2.98%

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

$127 $127

$219 $219

-42.11%

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

$47.32 $47.32

$75.3 $75.3

-37.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.7 $56.7

$70.5 $70.5

-19.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.51 $47.51

$116 $116

-58.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$13.03 $13.03

$21.37 $21.37

-39.03%

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

$1,418 $1,418

$3,432 $3,432

-58.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$61.7K $61.7K

-62.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$74.9 $74.9

-27.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 $50.5

$52.1 $52.1

-3.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$117 $117

4.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$135 $135

-2.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 $1,430

$4,347 $4,347

-67.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 $1,423

$3,117 $3,117

-54.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,221 $2,221

$9,110 $9,110

-75.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,902 $1,902

$5,379 $5,379

-64.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,715 $2,715

$19.3K $19.3K

-85.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,046 $2,046

$6,943 $6,943

-70.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.01

6.85

2.34%

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

Last update for North Brunswick, NJ: October 18, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

North Brunswick, NJ

$1.4K 53.9%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 119% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

North Brunswick, NJ

$427 16.2%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 29.3% $125

Eating Out

North Brunswick, NJ

$296 11.2%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 37.4% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Brunswick, NJ

$231 8.8%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 58.1% $134

Clothing & Footwear

North Brunswick, NJ

$161 6.1%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 5.5% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

North Brunswick, NJ

$74 2.8%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 115% $85

Getting Around

North Brunswick, NJ

$29 * 1.1%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 478% $139

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

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇺🇸 North Brunswick, NJ

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

20:08 8:08 PM

Same time as North Brunswick, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,905

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

North Brunswick, NJ New York, NY 32 km

From you

North Brunswick, NJ
New York, NY

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

North Brunswick, NJ vs New York, NY: 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 $3,962 per month in North Brunswick, NJ and $7,407 in New York, NY. 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 $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ and $4,938 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 87%.

Kindergarten costs $1,418 per month in North Brunswick, NJ and $3,432 in New York, NY. 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 $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ and $4,938 in New York, NY. 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.