Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waltham, MA and Woodbridge, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Woodbridge, NJ: $3,438 a month against $4,278 in Waltham, MA, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

205

Cost of Living Index in Waltham, MA
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Waltham, MA Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in Woodbridge, NJ
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Woodbridge, NJ Living Index

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Waltham, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,278

/mo nomad

Woodbridge, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,438

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Waltham, MA and in Woodbridge, NJ

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,278 in Waltham, MA versus $3,438 in Woodbridge, NJ.

Waltham, MA $4,278
Woodbridge, NJ $3,438

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,563 in Waltham, MA versus $4,871 in Woodbridge, NJ.

Waltham, MA $6,563
Woodbridge, NJ $4,871

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,848 in Waltham, MA versus $6,303 in Woodbridge, NJ.

Waltham, MA $8,848
Woodbridge, NJ $6,303

Living in Waltham, MA is roughly 24% more expensive than in Woodbridge, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Waltham, MA 214% above, Woodbridge, NJ 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.85 $24.85

$19.30 $19.30

28.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.5 $96.5

$79.1 $79.1

21.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 $12.02

$13.08 $13.08

-8.10%

Cappuccino

$5.17 $5.17

$5.63 $5.63

-8.17%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$2.46 $2.46

19.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.54 $1.54

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 $5.04

$7.78 $7.78

-35.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 $8.06

$7.18 $7.18

12.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.30 $1.30

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 $3.92

$4.26 $4.26

-7.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$7.54 $7.54

-28.78%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$5.91 $5.91

-17.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$14.12 $14.12

-21.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$11.95 $11.95

18.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$19.84 $19.84

-12.50%

Apples (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$5.95 $5.95

11.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.72 $1.72

0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$6.44 $6.44

-14.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$6.21 $6.21

-9.02%

Potato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.36 $5.36

-15.67%

Onion (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.77 $3.77

6.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.93 $2.93

1.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.99 $2.99

-1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.30 $13.30

$11.88 $11.88

11.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.60 $13.60

$16.19 $16.19

-16.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.70 $1.70

24.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 $4.12

$5.51 $5.51

-25.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.8 $58.8

$121 $121

-51.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.95 $2.95

-9.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.11 $2.11

-18.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.47 $28.47

$41.53 $41.53

-31.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.14 $1.14

-7.89%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$27.9K $27.9K

-3.31%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.8K $25.8K

1.23%

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

$324 $324

$171 $171

89.35%

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

$54.6 $54.6

$63.8 $63.8

-14.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.2 $86.2

$65.2 $65.2

32.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$252 $252

$35.58 $35.58

608.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.67 $35.67

Cinema Ticket

$14.65 $14.65

$20.37 $20.37

-28.08%

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

$1,806 $1,806

$2,011 $2,011

-10.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K $30.3K

$18.3K $18.3K

65.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 $56.9

$40.93 $40.93

38.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.57 $37.57

$39.96 $39.96

-5.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 $81.3

$86.3 $86.3

-5.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 $98.8

$154 $154

-35.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,497 $2,497

$2,175 $2,175

14.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,962 $1,962

28.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,433 $5,433

$3,213 $3,213

69.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,088 $5,088

$2,977 $2,977

70.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,204 $3,204

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,007 $3,007

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,449 $5,449

$4,607 $4,607

18.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.8

-2.35%

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

Last update for Waltham, MA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Woodbridge, NJ: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waltham, MA

$2.5K 59%

Woodbridge, NJ

$2K 57.1% 22.3% $563

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waltham, MA

$464 10.9%

Woodbridge, NJ

$300 8.7% 35.4% $165

Groceries & Markets

Waltham, MA

$455 10.6%

Woodbridge, NJ

$491 14.3% 7.8% $36

Eating Out

Waltham, MA

$359 8.4%

Woodbridge, NJ

$331 9.6% 7.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Waltham, MA

$281 6.6%

Woodbridge, NJ

$76 2.2% 72.9% $205

Clothing & Footwear

Waltham, MA

$124 2.9%

Woodbridge, NJ

$145 4.2% 17.1% $21

Getting Around

Waltham, MA

$70 * 1.6%

Woodbridge, NJ

$134 * 3.9% 91.3% $64

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 $2,497 in Waltham, MA and $2,175 in Woodbridge, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Waltham, MA pays 18% 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: $96 in Waltham, MA vs $79 in Woodbridge, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $455 vs $491, with Waltham, MA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waltham, MA

🇺🇸 Woodbridge, NJ

🕒 Local time

21:29 9:29 PM

Same time as Waltham, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,636

19,265

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Waltham, MA Woodbridge, NJ 320 km

From you

Waltham, MA
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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

Waltham, MA vs Woodbridge, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Woodbridge, NJ wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Waltham, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Woodbridge, NJ the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Waltham, MA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,497 in Waltham, MA versus $2,175 in Woodbridge, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,806 in Waltham, MA versus $2,011 in Woodbridge, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Waltham, MA pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Woodbridge, NJ 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.

It comes down to priorities – Woodbridge, NJ wins on affordability, Waltham, MA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.