Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Philadelphia, PA and Jersey City, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Philadelphia, PA: $2,836 a month against $3,854 in Jersey City, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Philadelphia, PA
Learn more

Philadelphia, PA Living Index
187

Cost of Living Index in Jersey City, NJ
Learn more

Jersey City, NJ Living Index

Jump to prices

Philadelphia, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,836

/mo nomad

Jersey City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Philadelphia, PA and in Jersey City, NJ

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Philadelphia, PA and in Jersey City, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,836 in Philadelphia, PA versus $3,854 in Jersey City, NJ.

Philadelphia, PA $2,836
Jersey City, NJ $3,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,251 in Philadelphia, PA versus $5,348 in Jersey City, NJ.

Philadelphia, PA $4,251
Jersey City, NJ $5,348

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,667 in Philadelphia, PA versus $6,841 in Jersey City, NJ.

Philadelphia, PA $5,667
Jersey City, NJ $6,841

Living in Philadelphia, PA costs roughly 26% less than in Jersey City, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Philadelphia, PA 110% above, Jersey City, NJ 186% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.64 $21.64

$25.34 $25.34

-14.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 $80.7

$99.9 $99.9

-19.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.71 $12.71

$10.83 $10.83

17.36%

Cappuccino

$5.42 $5.42

$5.40 $5.40

0.37%

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

$3.12 $3.12

$2.17 $2.17

43.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.58 $1.58

41.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 $5.87

$8.11 $8.11

-27.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$8.18 $8.18

-3.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.29 $1.29

14.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.20 $4.20

8.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.31 $7.31

$7.58 $7.58

-3.56%

Eggs

$4.94 $4.94

$5.68 $5.68

-13.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 $12.25

$12.52 $12.52

-2.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 $12.67

$11.68 $11.68

8.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 $17.90

$17.29 $17.29

3.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$5.28 $5.28

3.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.72 $1.72

-10.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$6.44 $6.44

-19.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$6.13 $6.13

-16.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$5.66 $5.66

-51.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.82 $3.82

-18.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.89 $2.89

-14.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.81 $2.81

-13.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.91 $12.91

$11.19 $11.19

15.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 $14.84

$24.79 $24.79

-40.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.77 $1.77

35.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 $4.44

$5.51 $5.51

-19.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.07 $3.07

-6.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 $101

$106 $106

-4.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.94 $2.94

-5.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 $1.55

$2.00 $2.00

-22.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.04 $24.04

$24.20 $24.20

-0.66%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

-1.72%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.99%

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

$214 $214

$209 $209

2.28%

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

$64.1 $64.1

$73.2 $73.2

-12.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.9 $63.9

$64.8 $64.8

-1.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.6 $81.6

$56.3 $56.3

44.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$92.8 $92.8

$43.47 $43.47

113.37%

Cinema Ticket

$15.65 $15.65

$14.60 $14.60

7.19%

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

$2,246 $2,246

$2,245 $2,245

0.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.9K $42.9K

$23.6K $23.6K

81.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.98 $48.98

$41.50 $41.50

18.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.03 $47.03

$58.2 $58.2

-19.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$74.8 $74.8

40.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$155 $155

-9.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 $2,000

$3,501 $3,501

-42.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 $1,311

$2,282 $2,282

-42.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,458 $4,458

$5,540 $5,540

-19.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,225 $2,225

$3,248 $3,248

-31.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,112 $4,112

$7,779 $7,779

-47.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,857 $1,857

$5,595 $5,595

-66.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,503 $4,503

$6,205 $6,205

-27.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.75

-1.93%

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

Last update for Philadelphia, PA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jersey City, NJ: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Philadelphia, PA

$1.3K 46.2%

Jersey City, NJ

$2.3K 59.2% 74.1% $972

Groceries & Markets

Philadelphia, PA

$450 15.9%

Jersey City, NJ

$488 12.7% 8.5% $38

Eating Out

Philadelphia, PA

$343 12.1%

Jersey City, NJ

$372 9.7% 8.5% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Philadelphia, PA

$342 12.1%

Jersey City, NJ

$347 9% 1.5% $5.2

Clothing & Footwear

Philadelphia, PA

$154 5.4%

Jersey City, NJ

$148 3.8% 3.5% $5.4

Getting Around

Philadelphia, PA

$123 4.4%

Jersey City, NJ

$131 3.4% 6.1% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Philadelphia, PA

$113 4%

Jersey City, NJ

$85 2.2% 24.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,000 in Philadelphia, PA and $3,501 in Jersey City, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jersey City, NJ pays 38% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $81.0 in Philadelphia, PA vs $100 in Jersey City, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $450 vs $488 per month, with Philadelphia, PA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Philadelphia, PA

🇺🇸 Jersey City, NJ

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

Same time as Philadelphia, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,573,916

292,449

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Philadelphia, PA Jersey City, NJ 130 km

From you

Philadelphia, PA
Jersey City, NJ

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

Philadelphia, PA vs Jersey City, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Philadelphia, PA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Jersey City, NJ. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,000 in Philadelphia, PA versus $3,501 in Jersey City, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Philadelphia, PA runs roughly 4% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,246 in Philadelphia, PA versus $2,245 in Jersey City, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Philadelphia, PA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Philadelphia, PA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Jersey City, NJ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Philadelphia, PA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.