Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Somerset, NJ: $3,865 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

189

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

🇺🇸 United States

$3,865

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,865 per month in Somerset, NJ vs $4,950 in New York, NY, rent included.

Somerset, NJ $3,865
New York, NY $4,950

A couple spends around $4,297 per month in Somerset, NJ vs $7,265 in New York, NY, rent included.

Somerset, NJ $4,297
New York, NY $7,265

A family of three spends $4,728 per month in Somerset, NJ vs $9,581 in New York, NY, rent included.

Somerset, NJ $4,728
New York, NY $9,581

Somerset, NJ is about 22% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Somerset, NJ and New York, NY sit above the global median – Somerset, NJ by 186%, New York, NY by 267%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 $18.26

$24.65 $24.65

-25.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.28 $39.28

$122 $122

-67.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 $8.16

$13.91 $13.91

-41.34%

Cappuccino

$4.89 $4.89

$6.59 $6.59

-25.80%

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

$1.96 $1.96

$3.84 $3.84

-48.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.87 $2.87

-48.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$7.79 $7.79

0.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$9.85 $9.85

-27.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.38 $1.38

-4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.68 $4.68

-6.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$7.54 $7.54

-18.83%

Eggs

$2.02 $2.02

$5.93 $5.93

-65.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 $13.28

$18.83 $18.83

-29.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.19 $10.19

$17.36 $17.36

-41.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.45 $19.45

$18.51 $18.51

5.08%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$6.74 $6.74

-9.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.09 $2.09

66.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$6.07 $6.07

-28.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$6.74 $6.74

-19.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$4.05 $4.05

-24.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$4.37 $4.37

-30.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.89 $2.89

-15.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.60 $2.60

14.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.39 $17.39

$18.72 $18.72

-7.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$20.06 $20.06

-23.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.25 $3.25

-45.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.73 $3.73

-5.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.06 $3.06

-36.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.04 $3.04

-3.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.15 $2.15

3.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.34 $41.34

$41.82 $41.82

-1.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.12 $1.12

-1.79%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.5K $35.5K

1.50%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.0K $26.0K

-2.89%

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

$173 $173

$219 $219

-20.98%

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

$50.0 $50.0

$73.2 $73.2

-31.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.14 $49.14

$72.0 $72.0

-31.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.91 $40.91

$123 $123

-66.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

Cinema Ticket

$20.32 $20.32

$22.85 $22.85

-11.07%

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

$2,016 $2,016

$3,333 $3,333

-39.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$60.0K $60.0K

-72.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 $50.2

$75.2 $75.2

-33.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.93 $40.93

$52.4 $52.4

-21.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$122 $122

-29.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$133 $133

-22.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 $1,599

$4,389 $4,389

-63.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,626 $2,626

$3,130 $3,130

-16.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 $2,527

$8,918 $8,918

-71.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 $2,114

$5,354 $5,354

-60.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,767 $2,767

$19.4K $19.4K

-85.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,399 $2,399

$6,806 $6,806

-64.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

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 Somerset, NJ: October 11, 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

Somerset, NJ

$2.6K 67.9%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 19.2% $504

Groceries & Markets

Somerset, NJ

$441 11.4%

New York, NY

$545 11% 23.5% $104

Eating Out

Somerset, NJ

$296 7.7%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 36.2% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Somerset, NJ

$272 7%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 33.8% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Somerset, NJ

$126 3.3%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 36.5% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Somerset, NJ

$82 2.1%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 107% $87

Getting Around

Somerset, NJ

$22 * 0.6%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 661% $145

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,599 in Somerset, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Somerset, NJ versus $122 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $441 vs $545 – making Somerset, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Somerset, NJ

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

22:44 10:44 PM

Same time as Somerset, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,924

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Somerset, NJ New York, NY 30 km

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

New York, NY costs about 28% more than Somerset, 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 $5,798 per month in Somerset, 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 Somerset, 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 $3,865 in Somerset, NJ and $4,950 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 28%.

Kindergarten costs $2,016 per month in Somerset, 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 $3,865 in Somerset, 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. Somerset, NJ costs $3,865 versus $4,950 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 Somerset, 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.