Question 1

Is New York or Newark cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Newark, NJ is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $684/month less than in New York, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $2,910/mo in New York versus $2,205/mo in Newark.

Question 2

What salary do you need in New York vs Newark?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $121,000/year before tax in New York, NY and $97,500/year in Newark, NJ — a difference of about $23,500. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is New York or Newark cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Newark, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $9,750/month in New York and $9,272/month in Newark, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to New York or Newark?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Newark costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	New York41	Newark51
Est. monthly cost (single)	$5,741	$5,057
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$9,750	$9,272
Salary for comfort	$121,000/yr	$97,500/yr
Typical rent	$2,910	$2,205
Median home value	$751,700	$337,800
Median household income	$79,713	$48,416
Unemployment	5.2%	6.3%
Housing score	3	8
Jobs score	36	39
Safety score	47	56
Climate score	96	96
Amenities score	40	55
Population	8.5M	307.2K
Summer high / winter low	86° / 23°	86° / 23°

New York, NY vs Newark, NJ