Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerset, NJ and Brunswick, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Brunswick, ME: $2,646 a month against $3,865 in Somerset, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Somerset, NJ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

189

Cost of Living Index in Somerset, NJ
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Somerset, NJ Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Brunswick, ME
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Brunswick, ME Living Index

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Somerset, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,865

/mo nomad

Brunswick, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Somerset, NJ and in Brunswick, ME

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,865 in Somerset, NJ versus $2,646 in Brunswick, ME.

Somerset, NJ $3,865
Brunswick, ME $2,646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,297 in Somerset, NJ versus $4,011 in Brunswick, ME.

Somerset, NJ $4,297
Brunswick, ME $4,011

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,728 in Somerset, NJ versus $5,375 in Brunswick, ME.

Somerset, NJ $4,728
Brunswick, ME $5,375

Living in Somerset, NJ is roughly 46% more expensive than in Brunswick, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Somerset, NJ 186% above, Brunswick, ME 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 $18.26

$24.69 $24.69

-26.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.28 $39.28

$119 $119

-67.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 $8.16

$14.97 $14.97

-45.49%

Cappuccino

$4.89 $4.89

$6.10 $6.10

-19.84%

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

$1.96 $1.96

$3.06 $3.06

-35.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.45 $2.45

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$7.96 $7.96

-1.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$7.85 $7.85

-9.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$0.91 $0.91

45.05%

White Bread (500g)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.25 $3.25

34.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.47 $3.47

76.37%

Eggs

$2.02 $2.02

$2.55 $2.55

-20.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 $13.28

$12.99 $12.99

2.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.19 $10.19

$10.39 $10.39

-1.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.45 $19.45

$16.21 $16.21

19.99%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.89 $4.89

24.13%

Banana (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.46 $1.46

139.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.40 $4.40

-1.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$6.50 $6.50

-16.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.37 $3.37

-9.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.65 $3.65

-16.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.52 $2.52

-3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.88 $1.88

57.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.39 $17.39

$8.87 $8.87

96.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$13.07 $13.07

16.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.33 $1.33

33.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 $3.52

$1.87 $1.87

88.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.80 $1.80

8.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.97 $1.97

49.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.51 $1.51

47.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.34 $41.34

$10.87 $10.87

280.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.05 $1.05

4.76%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.7K $35.7K

0.87%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.1K $26.1K

-3.05%

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

$173 $173

$162 $162

6.77%

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

$50.0 $50.0

$70.3 $70.3

-28.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.14 $49.14

$76.4 $76.4

-35.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.91 $40.91

$44.77 $44.77

-8.62%

Cinema Ticket

$20.32 $20.32

$14.18 $14.18

43.30%

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

$2,016 $2,016

$1,227 $1,227

64.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$23.6K $23.6K

-30.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 $50.2

$51.9 $51.9

-3.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.93 $40.93

$81.5 $81.5

-49.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$100 $100

-15.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$135 $135

-23.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 $1,599

$1,594 $1,594

0.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,626 $2,626

$1,313 $1,313

100.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 $2,527

$2,518 $2,518

0.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 $2,114

$2,189 $2,189

-3.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,767 $2,767

$2,920 $2,920

-5.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,399 $2,399

$2,155 $2,155

11.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,638 $4,638

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.5

4.62%

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

Last update for Somerset, NJ: October 11, 2026

Last update for Brunswick, ME: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Somerset, NJ

$2.6K 67.9%

Brunswick, ME

$1.3K 49.6% 50% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Somerset, NJ

$441 11.4%

Brunswick, ME

$375 14.2% 15% $66

Eating Out

Somerset, NJ

$296 7.7%

Brunswick, ME

$393 14.9% 32.6% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Somerset, NJ

$272 7%

Brunswick, ME

$309 11.7% 13.4% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Somerset, NJ

$126 3.3%

Brunswick, ME

$166 6.3% 31.8% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Somerset, NJ

$82 2.1%

Brunswick, ME

$73 2.8% 10.3% $8.4

Getting Around

Somerset, NJ

$22 * 0.6%

Brunswick, ME

$17 * 0.6% 23.5% $5.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,599 in Somerset, NJ and $1,594 in Brunswick, ME. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Somerset, NJ vs $119 in Brunswick, ME. Groceries flip the comparison at $441 vs $375, with Brunswick, ME cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Somerset, NJ

🇺🇸 Brunswick, ME

🕒 Local time

02:50 2:50 AM

Same time as Somerset, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,924

16,287

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Somerset, NJ Brunswick, ME 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Somerset, NJ
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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

Somerset, NJ vs Brunswick, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brunswick, ME is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,798 in Somerset, NJ and $3,969 in Brunswick, ME to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,599 in Somerset, NJ versus $1,594 in Brunswick, ME. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,016 in Somerset, NJ versus $1,227 in Brunswick, ME. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Brunswick, ME – a meal for two runs $119 versus $39.00 in Somerset, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Somerset, NJ and Brunswick, ME are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Brunswick, ME gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Somerset, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.