Cost of living comparison
compared to
New York City vs. Princeton Cost of Living Summary
New York City is 26.6% more expensive than Princeton.
- Restaurants
- pay 21.6% more in New York City
- Groceries
- pay 10.3% more in New York City
- Transportation
- pay 6.5% less in New York City
- Housing
- pay 33.9% more in New York City
- Childcare
- pay 56.4% more in New York City
- Entertainment and Sports
- pay 25.7% more in New York City
- Clothing
- pay 44.8% more in New York City
New York City vs. Princeton Cost Breakdown
If you lived in New York City instead of Princeton, you would:
pay 21.6% more for restaurants
Princeton | New York City | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $17.00 | $25.00 | |
| Fast food combo meal McDonalds, or similar | $12.50 | $13.00 | |
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $2.50 | $3.09 | |
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $2.33 | $2.61 | |
Princeton vs. New York City - Cost of restaurants
pay 10.3% more for groceries
Princeton | New York City | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread 1 loaf | $4.04 | $4.75 | |
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $12.86 | $8.89 | |
| Milk (1 gallon) | $4.15 | $6.05 | |
| Eggs 1 dozen | $4.23 | $7.20 | |
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $11.00 | $7.07 | |
| Apples (1 lb) | $3.00 | $3.29 | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | $1.15 | $1.08 | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | $2.42 | $2.60 | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $2.75 | $2.68 | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $1.24 | $1.63 | |
| Onions (1 lb) | $1.67 | $1.78 | |
Princeton vs. New York City - Cost of groceries
pay 6.5% less for transportation
Princeton | New York City | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $3.17 | $3.47 | |
| Monthly public transit pass | $199.00 | $132.00 | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $32,955.62 | $36,344.69 | |
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $25.46 | $22.39 | |
Princeton vs. New York City - Cost of transportation
pay 33.9% more for housing
Princeton | New York City | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet connection 50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl | $51.00 | $67.59 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $2,700.00 | $4,037.06 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $1,925.00 | $2,496.67 | |
| Utilities for two (700 sq ft apartment) including electric, gas, water, heating | $122.52 | $151.98 | |
Princeton vs. New York City - Cost of housing
pay 56.4% more for childcare
Princeton | New York City | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $1,858.33 | $3,154.10 | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $40,000.00 | $57,250.00 | |
Princeton vs. New York City - Cost of childcare
pay 25.7% more for entertainment and sports
Princeton | New York City | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $8.00 | $8.00 | |
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $5.20 | $5.71 | |
| Pack of cigarettes Marlboro or similar | $11.00 | $19.00 | |
| Monthly membership at local gym | $172.50 | $150.04 | |
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $15.00 | $20.00 | |
Princeton vs. New York City - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 44.8% more for clothing
Princeton | New York City | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular jeans Levi's brand | $32.80 | $67.80 | |
| Regular dress from H&M or similar store | $24.00 | $49.94 | |
| Running shoes Nike or Adidas | $142.50 | $115.58 | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $202.50 | $168.76 | |
Princeton vs. New York City - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: June 2026
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