Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palo Alto, CA and Cherry Hill, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Cherry Hill, NJ: $3,208 a month against $5,023 in Palo Alto, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

238

Cost of Living Index in Palo Alto, CA
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Palo Alto, CA Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in Cherry Hill, NJ
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Cherry Hill, NJ Living Index

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Palo Alto, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$5,023

/mo nomad

Cherry Hill, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Palo Alto, CA and in Cherry Hill, NJ

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Palo Alto, CA and in Cherry Hill, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $5,023 per month in Palo Alto, CA vs $3,208 in Cherry Hill, NJ, rent included.

Palo Alto, CA $5,023
Cherry Hill, NJ $3,208

A couple spends around $7,582 per month in Palo Alto, CA vs $4,874 in Cherry Hill, NJ, rent included.

Palo Alto, CA $7,582
Cherry Hill, NJ $4,874

A family of three spends $10.1K per month in Palo Alto, CA vs $6,539 in Cherry Hill, NJ, rent included.

Palo Alto, CA $10.1K
Cherry Hill, NJ $6,539

Palo Alto, CA costs about 57% more than Cherry Hill, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Palo Alto, CA and Cherry Hill, NJ sit above the global median – Palo Alto, CA by 272%, Cherry Hill, NJ by 137%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.16 $25.16

$22.95 $22.95

9.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 $108

$88.6 $88.6

22.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.24 $13.24

$12.21 $12.21

8.44%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.15 $5.15

12.23%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$2.88 $2.88

5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.30 $2.30

22.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$5.93 $5.93

37.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$8.06 $8.06

22.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.44 $1.44

15.28%

White Bread (500g)

$5.40 $5.40

$4.28 $4.28

26.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$7.14 $7.14

-21.99%

Eggs

$5.71 $5.71

$6.29 $6.29

-9.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 $17.70

$12.27 $12.27

44.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.50 $14.50

$15.51 $15.51

-6.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.77 $21.77

$18.39 $18.39

18.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

$5.70 $5.70

-12.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.57 $1.57

24.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$5.33 $5.33

-10.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$5.61 $5.61

17.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$4.11 $4.11

-19.71%

Onion (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$4.89 $4.89

-18.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.52 $2.52

-5.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.46 $2.46

5.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$11.65 $11.65

-0.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.49 $15.49

$17.05 $17.05

-9.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.42 $2.42

-0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.52 $4.52

-26.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$6.15 $6.15

-59.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 $152

$182 $182

-16.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.63 $2.63

58.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.81 $1.81

15.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.55 $30.55

$26.22 $26.22

16.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.11 $1.11

40.54%

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

$33.6K $33.6K

$31.1K $31.1K

7.93%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.5K $25.5K

1.92%

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

$271 $271

$227 $227

19.28%

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

$48.52 $48.52

$59.9 $59.9

-19.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.6 $80.6

$61.0 $61.0

31.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$170 $170

$51.7 $51.7

227.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.96 $19.96

Cinema Ticket

$16.59 $16.59

$15.09 $15.09

9.94%

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

$3,046 $3,046

$2,076 $2,076

46.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.2K $42.2K

$44.6K $44.6K

-5.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$50.8 $50.8

33.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 $51.3

$43.72 $43.72

17.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$106 $106

-4.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$118 $118

2.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,662 $3,662

$2,063 $2,063

77.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,193 $3,193

$1,583 $1,583

101.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,275 $7,275

$3,248 $3,248

123.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,068 $6,068

$2,936 $2,936

106.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,987 $9,987

$5,018 $5,018

99.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

6.78

0.74%

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

Last update for Palo Alto, CA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cherry Hill, NJ: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palo Alto, CA

$3.2K 63.6%

Cherry Hill, NJ

$1.6K 49.4% 50.4% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Palo Alto, CA

$503 10%

Cherry Hill, NJ

$485 15.1% 3.7% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palo Alto, CA

$400 8%

Cherry Hill, NJ

$348 10.9% 13% $52

Eating Out

Palo Alto, CA

$394 7.9%

Cherry Hill, NJ

$348 10.9% 11.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Palo Alto, CA

$203 4%

Cherry Hill, NJ

$82 2.6% 59.6% $121

Getting Around

Palo Alto, CA

$176 3.5%

Cherry Hill, NJ

$218 6.8% 23.9% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Palo Alto, CA

$153 3.1%

Cherry Hill, NJ

$143 4.5% 6.5% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,662 in Palo Alto, CA versus $2,063 in Cherry Hill, NJ. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 99% higher in Palo Alto, CA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Palo Alto, CA versus $89 in Cherry Hill, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $503 vs $485 – making Cherry Hill, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Palo Alto, CA

🇺🇸 Cherry Hill, NJ

🕒 Local time

14:04 2:04 PM

17:04 5:04 PM

3 h ahead of Palo Alto, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,403

71,586

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Palo Alto, CA Cherry Hill, NJ 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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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

Palo Alto, CA vs Cherry Hill, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $5,023 in Palo Alto, CA, $3,208 in Cherry Hill, NJ – Cherry Hill, NJ comes out roughly 36% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,535 per month in Palo Alto, CA and $4,812 in Cherry Hill, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cherry Hill, NJ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,063 there versus $3,662 in Palo Alto, CA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Palo Alto, CA and $89 in Cherry Hill, NJ. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $5,023 in Palo Alto, CA and $3,208 in Cherry Hill, NJ. That makes Cherry Hill, NJ about 36% cheaper.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $5,023 in Palo Alto, CA and $3,208 in Cherry Hill, NJ. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Cherry Hill, NJ. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Palo Alto, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.