Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between York, PA and Fort Lee, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in York, PA: $2,301 a month against $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in York, PA
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York, PA Living Index
187

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lee, NJ
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Fort Lee, NJ Living Index

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York, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,301

/mo nomad

Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,894

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in York, PA and in Fort Lee, NJ

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,301 in York, PA versus $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ.

York, PA $2,301
Fort Lee, NJ $3,894

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,463 in York, PA versus $6,154 in Fort Lee, NJ.

York, PA $3,463
Fort Lee, NJ $6,154

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,625 in York, PA versus $8,415 in Fort Lee, NJ.

York, PA $4,625
Fort Lee, NJ $8,415

Living in York, PA costs roughly 41% less than in Fort Lee, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: York, PA 69% above, Fort Lee, NJ 186% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.17 $15.17

$25.04 $25.04

-39.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 $76.2

$81.2 $81.2

-6.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.95 $10.95

-7.76%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$5.35 $5.35

-8.97%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$2.19 $2.19

28.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.52 $1.52

55.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.09 $4.09

$8.18 $8.18

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$8.02 $8.02

-27.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.84 $3.84

7.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$6.79 $6.79

3.39%

Eggs

$5.14 $5.14

$4.63 $4.63

11.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$12.55 $12.55

38.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.49 $15.49

$11.86 $11.86

30.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 $18.65

$17.50 $17.50

6.57%

Apples (1kg)

$7.10 $7.10

$5.45 $5.45

30.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.77 $1.77

33.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$6.27 $6.27

-18.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$5.42 $5.42

10.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$4.06 $4.06

-31.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$3.92 $3.92

-4.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.90 $2.90

-12.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.73 $2.73

-25.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.72 $13.72

$11.78 $11.78

16.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.39 $13.39

$11.86 $11.86

12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.71 $1.71

9.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.03 $2.03

89.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.71 $2.71

-34.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$135 $135

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.01 $3.01

35.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.10 $2.10

-23.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.18 $20.18

$24.13 $24.13

-16.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.86 $0.86

12.79%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$27.6K $27.6K

7.90%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.5K $26.5K

-3.10%

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

$209 $209

$215 $215

-2.85%

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

$54.3 $54.3

$75.8 $75.8

-28.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.9 $78.9

$64.2 $64.2

22.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.24 $48.24

$127 $127

-61.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.38 $34.38

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 $12.17

$14.55 $14.55

-16.36%

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

$1,096 $1,096

$2,027 $2,027

-45.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.7K $40.7K

$23.8K $23.8K

71.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.48 $49.48

$41.93 $41.93

18.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.50 $44.50

$57.6 $57.6

-22.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 $68.9

$77.6 $77.6

-11.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.6 $91.6

$84.5 $84.5

8.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 $1,402

$2,927 $2,927

-52.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 $1,007

$2,299 $2,299

-56.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,952 $1,952

$6,548 $6,548

-70.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 $1,725

$4,918 $4,918

-64.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,866 $1,866

$4,299 $4,299

-56.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,860 $1,860

$3,727 $3,727

-50.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,047 $4,047

$6,606 $6,606

-38.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.75

-1.78%

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

Last update for York, PA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fort Lee, NJ: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

York, PA

$1K 43.8%

Fort Lee, NJ

$2.3K 59% 128% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

York, PA

$483 21%

Fort Lee, NJ

$438 11.2% 9.4% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

York, PA

$342 14.9%

Fort Lee, NJ

$355 9.1% 3.8% $13

Eating Out

York, PA

$263 11.4%

Fort Lee, NJ

$369 9.5% 40.5% $106

Clothing & Footwear

York, PA

$115 5%

Fort Lee, NJ

$118 3% 2.8% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

York, PA

$73 3.2%

Fort Lee, NJ

$156 4% 115% $83

Getting Around

York, PA

$19 * 0.8%

Fort Lee, NJ

$159 4.1% 727% $140

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 $1,402 in York, PA and $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Lee, NJ pays 63% 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: $76 in York, PA vs $81 in Fort Lee, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $483 vs $438, with Fort Lee, NJ cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 York, PA

🇺🇸 Fort Lee, NJ

🕒 Local time

16:51 4:51 PM

Same time as York, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,800

37,008

💱 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

York, PA Fort Lee, NJ 250 km

From you

York, PA
Fort Lee, 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

York, PA vs Fort Lee, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

York, PA wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making York, PA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in York, PA. 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: $1,402 in York, PA versus $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,096 in York, PA versus $2,027 in Fort Lee, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in York, PA – a meal for two runs $76 versus $81 in Fort Lee, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. York, PA 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 – York, PA wins on affordability, Fort Lee, NJ on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.