Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

167

Cost of Living Index in Woodbridge, NJ
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Woodbridge, NJ Living Index
205

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

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Woodbridge, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,438

/mo nomad

Waltham, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Woodbridge, NJ costs roughly 20% less than in Waltham, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.30 $19.30

$24.85 $24.85

-22.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 $79.1

$96.5 $96.5

-18.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.08 $13.08

$12.02 $12.02

8.82%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.17 $5.17

8.90%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$2.95 $2.95

-16.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.20 $2.20

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 $7.78

$5.04 $5.04

54.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$8.06 $8.06

-10.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.04 $1.04

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.92 $3.92

8.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$5.37 $5.37

40.41%

Eggs

$5.91 $5.91

$4.89 $4.89

20.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.12 $14.12

$11.07 $11.07

27.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.95 $11.95

$14.16 $14.16

-15.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.84 $19.84

$17.36 $17.36

14.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$6.66 $6.66

-10.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.73 $1.73

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$5.48 $5.48

17.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$5.65 $5.65

9.91%

Potato (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$4.52 $4.52

18.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$4.02 $4.02

-6.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.98 $2.98

-1.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.94 $2.94

1.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.88 $11.88

$13.30 $13.30

-10.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 $16.19

$13.60 $13.60

19.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.11 $2.11

-19.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.12 $4.12

33.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 $121

$58.8 $58.8

105.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.66 $2.66

10.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.72 $1.72

22.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.53 $41.53

$28.47 $28.47

45.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.05 $1.05

8.57%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$27.0K $27.0K

3.43%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

-1.21%

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

$171 $171

$324 $324

-47.19%

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

$63.8 $63.8

$54.6 $54.6

16.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 $65.2

$86.2 $86.2

-24.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.58 $35.58

$252 $252

-85.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.67 $35.67

Cinema Ticket

$20.37 $20.37

$14.65 $14.65

39.04%

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

$2,011 $2,011

$1,806 $1,806

11.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K $18.3K

$30.3K $30.3K

-39.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.93 $40.93

$56.9 $56.9

-28.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.96 $39.96

$37.57 $37.57

6.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 $86.3

$81.3 $81.3

6.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 $154

$98.8 $98.8

56.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,175 $2,175

$2,497 $2,497

-12.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,962 $1,962

$2,525 $2,525

-22.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,213 $3,213

$5,433 $5,433

-40.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,977 $2,977

$5,088 $5,088

-41.48%

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)

$4,607 $4,607

$5,449 $5,449

-15.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.64

2.41%

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

Last update for Woodbridge, NJ: October 27, 2026

Last update for Waltham, MA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Woodbridge, NJ

$2K 57.1%

Waltham, MA

$2.5K 59% 28.7% $563

Groceries & Markets

Woodbridge, NJ

$491 14.3%

Waltham, MA

$455 10.6% 7.3% $36

Eating Out

Woodbridge, NJ

$331 9.6%

Waltham, MA

$359 8.4% 8.6% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Woodbridge, NJ

$300 8.7%

Waltham, MA

$464 10.9% 54.9% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Woodbridge, NJ

$145 4.2%

Waltham, MA

$124 2.9% 14.6% $21

Getting Around

Woodbridge, NJ

$134 * 3.9%

Waltham, MA

$70 * 1.6% 47.7% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Woodbridge, NJ

$76 2.2%

Waltham, MA

$281 6.6% 269% $205

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 $2,175 in Woodbridge, NJ and $2,497 in Waltham, MA. 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: $79 in Woodbridge, NJ vs $96 in Waltham, MA. Groceries flip the comparison at $491 vs $455, with Waltham, MA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Woodbridge, NJ

🇺🇸 Waltham, MA

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

Same time as Woodbridge, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,265

60,636

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Woodbridge, NJ Waltham, MA 320 km

From you

Woodbridge, 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

Woodbridge, NJ vs Waltham, MA: 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.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Woodbridge, 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: $2,175 in Woodbridge, NJ versus $2,497 in Waltham, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,011 in Woodbridge, NJ versus $1,806 in Waltham, MA. 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.