Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Paterson, NJ: $2,743 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $26,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Paterson, NJ
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Paterson, NJ Living Index
239

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

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Paterson, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,743

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,743 per month in Paterson, NJ vs $4,950 in New York, NY, rent included.

Paterson, NJ $2,743
New York, NY $4,950

A couple spends around $4,154 per month in Paterson, NJ vs $7,265 in New York, NY, rent included.

Paterson, NJ $4,154
New York, NY $7,265

A family of three spends $5,565 per month in Paterson, NJ vs $9,581 in New York, NY, rent included.

Paterson, NJ $5,565
New York, NY $9,581

Paterson, NJ is about 45% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Paterson, NJ and New York, NY sit above the global median – Paterson, NJ by 103%, New York, NY by 267%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.81 $18.81

$24.65 $24.65

-23.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 $79.0

$122 $122

-34.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.90 $13.90

$13.91 $13.91

-0.07%

Cappuccino

$6.31 $6.31

$6.59 $6.59

-4.25%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$3.84 $3.84

-26.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.87 $2.87

2.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 $8.60

$7.79 $7.79

10.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$9.85 $9.85

-30.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.38 $1.38

-7.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.68 $4.68

-3.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$7.54 $7.54

-20.95%

Eggs

$5.98 $5.98

$5.93 $5.93

0.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.00 $14.00

$18.83 $18.83

-25.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.39 $10.39

$17.36 $17.36

-40.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.68 $18.68

$18.51 $18.51

0.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$6.74 $6.74

-12.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.09 $2.09

4.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$6.07 $6.07

-28.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$6.74 $6.74

-19.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$4.05 $4.05

-23.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$4.37 $4.37

-30.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.89 $2.89

-3.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.60 $2.60

-1.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.67 $17.67

$18.72 $18.72

-5.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$20.06 $20.06

-24.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$3.25 $3.25

-42.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.73 $3.73

-3.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.04 $3.04

-4.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.52 $42.52

$41.82 $41.82

1.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.12 $1.12

2.68%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$35.5K $35.5K

1.85%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

-4.83%

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

$172 $172

$219 $219

-21.43%

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

$51.8 $51.8

$73.2 $73.2

-29.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.34 $49.34

$72.0 $72.0

-31.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

Cinema Ticket

$20.15 $20.15

$22.85 $22.85

-11.82%

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

$1,984 $1,984

$3,333 $3,333

-40.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$60.0K $60.0K

-73.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.02 $49.02

$75.2 $75.2

-34.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 $52.5

$52.4 $52.4

0.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$122 $122

-8.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$133 $133

-24.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 $2,481

$4,389 $4,389

-43.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 $1,480

$3,130 $3,130

-52.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,436 $3,436

$8,918 $8,918

-61.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,706 $2,706

$5,354 $5,354

-49.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,166 $3,166

$5,343 $5,343

-40.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.82

-0.29%

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

Last update for Paterson, NJ: October 10, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Paterson, NJ

$1.5K 54%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 112% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Paterson, NJ

$447 16.3%

New York, NY

$545 11% 21.9% $98

Eating Out

Paterson, NJ

$347 12.7%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 16.1% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paterson, NJ

$273 10%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 33.3% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Paterson, NJ

$141 5.1%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 22% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Paterson, NJ

$40 * 1.5%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 318% $128

Getting Around

Paterson, NJ

$14 * 0.5%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 1120% $153

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,481 in Paterson, NJ versus $4,389 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.

Salaries run about 69% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Paterson, NJ versus $122 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $545 – making Paterson, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Paterson, NJ

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

14:33 2:33 PM

Same time as Paterson, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

147,000

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Paterson, NJ New York, NY 31 km

From you

Paterson, NJ
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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

Paterson, NJ vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 80% more than Paterson, 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 $4,114 per month in Paterson, NJ and $7,424 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 Paterson, 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 $2,743 in Paterson, NJ and $4,950 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 80%.

Kindergarten costs $1,984 per month in Paterson, NJ and $3,333 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 $2,743 in Paterson, NJ and $4,950 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. Paterson, NJ costs $2,743 versus $4,950 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Paterson, 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.