Moving to New York from New Jersey

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from New Jersey to New York — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from New Jersey to New York, you would find that New York is 5.8% cheaper than New Jersey. A $75,000 salary in New Jersey would need to be roughly $69,532 in New York to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from New Jersey to New York.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $69,532

To maintain the same standard of living in New York

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 4.4% less

Groceries

pay 6.8% less

Transportation

pay 2.8% less

Housing

pay 5.0% less

Childcare

pay 10.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.1% more

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in New York cost about 14% less than cities in New Jersey.

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from New Jersey to New York.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NJ
215
NY
381
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NJ
1481
NY
1760

New Jersey performs better than New York across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

NJ
7.1%
NY
5.0%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NJ
30.0%
NY
29.9%

New Jersey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New York leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

NJ
$427,600
NY
$403,000
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NJ
$1,653
NY
$1,576

New York generally does better on what about housing?, though New Jersey leads in homeownership rate.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

NJ
91.9%
NY
89.7%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NJ
31 min
NY
33 min

New Jersey performs better than New York across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NJ
4.5%
NY
4.4%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NJ
$70,788
NY
$91,992

New Jersey generally does better on employment & economy, though New York leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

NJ
77.5 yrs
NY
77.7 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

NJ
29%
NY
28%

New Jersey generally does better on family life, though New York leads in life expectancy.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

TrentonRain: 46.5 in/yr (1180 mm)
63°/44°F

Avg. annual high / low

AlbanyRain: 39.4 in/yr (1000 mm)
58°/39°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsTrentonAlbany
Jan–Mar44°/27°F (7°/-3°C)37°/19°F (2°/-7°C)
Apr–Jun71°/51°F (22°/10°C)68°/47°F (20°/8°C)
Jul–Sep82°/62°F (28°/17°C)78°/58°F (26°/14°C)
Oct–Dec54°/36°F (12°/2°C)48°/31°F (9°/-1°C)
View all months
MonthTrentonAlbany
Jan39°/23°F (3.9°/-4.9°C)31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C)
Feb42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.4°C)35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C)
Mar51°/32°F (10.5°/-0.1°C)44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C)
Apr61°/41°F (16.3°/5.0°C)58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C)
May72°/51°F (22.1°/10.3°C)69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C)
Jun81°/60°F (27.1°/15.7°C)78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C)
Jul85°/66°F (29.6°/18.9°C)82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C)
Aug84°/64°F (28.7°/17.9°C)80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C)
Sep76°/56°F (24.5°/13.6°C)72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C)
Oct65°/44°F (18.3°/6.8°C)60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C)
Nov54°/37°F (12.5°/2.7°C)48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C)
Dec43°/28°F (6.2°/-2.4°C)36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in New York than New Jersey?

Yes — New York is on average about 7% cheaper than New Jersey. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to New York?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $17,383 in New York on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is New York safe?

New Jersey performs better than New York across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in New York compared to New Jersey?

New Jersey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New York leads in uninsured rate.

What's the weather like in New York compared to New Jersey?

The average high temperature in Albany is 58°F, compared to 63°F in Trenton. Albany receives around 39.4 in of rainfall per year, while Trenton gets 46.5 in.

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