Cost of Living in Jersey City, NJ, United States

Updated On July 18, 2023

How Much Does It Cost to Live In Jersey City, NJ?

Jersey City is New Jersey‘s second-largest city across the Hudson from New York City.

Jersey City is pretty big and can be divided into a few areas – The Heights, JC Downtown (Newport, Grove St, Exchange Place), and Journal Square.

From a cost perspective from cheapest to most expensive, they go like this: Journal Square, Union City, The Heights, Hoboken, JC Downtown.

The great thing about Jersey City is its easy access to NYC which facilitates the commute to your job on a daily basis from any part of New Jersey.

Cost of Living Index:
74.2
* Based on Research & User Data
Restaurants

RESTAURANTS

There are all sorts of restaurants, from the very top quality to the cheaper ones, and all types of ethnic foods are available.

As for going out and eating in restaurants, the amount of money you spend is up to you, and if you want to save up, you can always go to one of the chain fast food places.

Markets

MARKETS

Living (and eating) expense again depends on your standard of living but in general, your monthly expense could come out to be somewhere between 200$ – this is if you’re being thrifty and smart about your food, and not splurging around.

If you plan on cooking, keep in mind that you’ll save a lot of money that way.

Transportation

TRANSPORTATION

Unlike in Manhattan, taxis can be difficult to come by in Jersey City and you often have to call ahead to have one pick you up.

The bus system is awful and even locals have difficulty understanding where buses go or how often they run.

And on top of that – it isn’t even cheap!

A one-way ticket costs nearly 3$.

Utilities

UTILITIES (MONTHLY)

Including electricity, water, garbage, heating and cooling, basic monthly utilities are costlier than in some other cities but with higher salaries in Jersey City, they really don’t take up a lot of the people’s salaries.

For an apartment around 85m2 (which is definitely bigger than a usual apartment for one or two people), these will cost you 180$ approximately.

Sports and leisure

SPORTS & LEISURE

Liberty State Park is a very nice place for a run and many, many people go jogging there each morning.

A membership at the gym or a fitness club can’t go by without you cashing out around 52$, which is actually pretty expensive for an American city, and if you want to go to the cinema, add to that another 20$ per person.

Clothing and shoes

CLOTHING & SHOES

Although Jersey City isn’t known for its extensive shopping options, the city’s new society has begun to bring with it classier and pricier shops, like for instance the Newport Mall, located between Washington and Marin boulevards, which is the country’s largest indoor mall.

If you want a pair of Levi’s, it will cost you around 96$, though. Quality sneakers cost around 77$.

Rent per month

RENT PER MONTH

Rent is shockingly expensive in Jersey City.

If you’re looking to rent an apartment and save some money, you will need to stroll out of the city center and here you can rent one for around 1800$ which is a regular price, actually, for America’s top visited cities.

However, prepare another 1200$ if you’re looking for a one or two-room apartment in the city center.

Cost of Living Averages Table for Jersey City, NJ

*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.
Average Restaurant Prices
Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant)$15.00
Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter)$7.00
Water (0.33 Liter)$1.67
Average Market Prices
Milk (1 Liter)$1.24
Loaf Bread (500g)$5.31
Eggs (12)$4.06
Average Transport Prices
One Way Ticket$2.75
Monthly Pass$104.00
Gasoline$0.93
Average Utilities Prices
Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling)$128.90
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local$0.10
Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)$74.44
Average Leisure Prices
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult$52.50
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour)$13.33
Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release$19.44
Average Clothing Prices
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable)$96.50
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...)$47.50
1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range)$77.50
Average Rent Prices
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center$3044.44
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center$1800.00
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center$5125.00

How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Jersey City, NJ?

In Jersey City, with rent prices being sky-high, it’s no wonder that its citizens spend most money on rent, with more than 40% of one’s entire income being spent on it

Next on the list of biggest expenses in Jersey City is food, and money spent in markets and grocery stores – no less than 250$ a week goes on groceries alone, if you have a family and not living as a student.

The interesting thing here is that utilities are much cheaper than usual – with more money being spent on sports.

Either that or staying fit is very, very popular here!

Finally, the last on the list is, as per usual, clothing and sports.

Average Costs Breakdown

9.9%
26.6%
6.7%
5.2%
3.9%
1.6%
46.1%

Jersey City, NJ: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages

With incredibly high prices of everything in Jersey City, it can be said that both minimum wage and average net salary are much lower than they should be.

Their monthly average net salary is around 6100$, which – although very high – is definitely less than what would be necessary for a comfortable life, with rent taking away literally half of this income.

Still, Jersey City’s citizens are able to make ends meet, but no thanks to the low cost of living!

The minimum wage in Jersey City is around 1500$.

Average Salary$6158.82
Minimum Wage$1534.00
Mortgage Interest Rate6.30%

Jersey City Safety Overview

READ THE FULL REPORT: Jersey City Safety Review

Safety Index:
54
Jersey City
  • OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
  • TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
  • PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
  • NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
  • MUGGING RISK: HIGH
  • TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
  • SCAMS RISK: LOW
  • WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM

Cost of Living by City in Jersey City, NJ

CityCost of Living Index
Albany, NY72.4
Albuquerque, NM72.4
Anchorage, AK72.4
Ann Arbor, MI72.4
Arlington, TX72.4
Asheville, NC72.4
Atlanta, GA72.4
Austin, TX72.4
Bakersfield, CA72.4
Baltimore, MD72.4
Bellevue, WA72.4
Bellingham, WA72.4
Berkeley, CA72.4
Birmingham, AL72.4
Boise, ID72.4
Boston, MA72.4
Boulder, CO72.4
Brooklyn, NY72.4
Buffalo, NY72.4
Burlington, VT72.4
Charleston, SC72.4
Charlotte, NC73.33
Chattanooga, TN72.4
Chicago, IL72.4
Cincinnati, OH72.4
Cleveland, OH72.4
Columbia, SC72.4
Columbus, OH72.4
Dallas, TX72.4
Dayton, OH72.4
Denver, CO72.4
Des Moines, IA72.4
Detroit, MI72.4
El Paso, TX72.4
Eugene, OR72.4
Everett, WA72.4
Fayetteville, AR72.4
Fort Myers, FL72.4
Fort Wayne, IN72.4
Fort Worth, TX72.4
Fresno, CA74.2
Gainesville, FL74.2
Grand Rapids, MI74.2
Greensboro, NC74.2
Hartford, CT74.2
Honolulu, HI74.2
Houston, TX74.2
Huntsville, AL74.2
Indianapolis, IN74.2
Irvine, CA74.2
Jacksonville, FL74.2
Kansas City, MO74.2
Knoxville, TN74.2
Las Vegas, NV74.2
Lexington, KY74.2
Little Rock, AR74.2
Long Beach, CA74.2
Los Angeles, CA74.2
Louisville, KY74.2
Lubbock, TX74.2
Madison, WI74.2
Memphis, TN74.2
Miami, FL74.2
Milwaukee, WI74.2
Minneapolis, MN74.2
Nashville, TN74.2
New Orleans, LA74.2
New York, NY74.2
Oakland, CA74.2
Oklahoma City, OK74.2
Olympia, WA74.2
Orlando, FL74.2
Peoria, IL72.4
Philadelphia, PA72.4
Phoenix, AZ72.4
Pittsburgh, PA72.4
Portland, ME72.4
Portland, OR72.4
Raleigh, NC72.4
Reno, NV72.4
Richmond, VA74.2
Rochester, NY74.2
Sacramento, CA74.2
Saint Louis, MO74.2
Saint Paul, MN74.2
Saint Petersburg, FL74.2
Salem, OR74.2
Salt Lake City, UT74.2
San Antonio, TX74.2
San Diego, CA74.2
San Francisco, CA74.2
San Jose, CA74.2
Santa Barbara, CA74.2
Santa Rosa, CA74.2
Seattle, WA74.2
Spokane, WA74.2
Springfield, MO74.2
Syracuse, NY74.2
Tacoma, WA74.2
Tallahassee, FL74.2
Tampa, FL74.2
Toledo, OH74.2
Tucson, AZ74.2
Tulsa, OK74.2
Vancouver, WA74.2
Virginia Beach, VA74.2
Washington, DC74.2
West Palm Beach, FL74.2
Wichita, KS74.2

Where to Next?

See these related locations:

Or, browse the country/city indexes:

Cost of Living - Country Index Cost of Living - City Index

Share Your Experience

Share
Facebook Pinterest