Cost of living in New Brunswick research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means New Brunswick is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in New Jersey, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in New Brunswick is 117, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in New Brunswick is 1.2x higher than the national average.
New Brunswick ranks as the #69 cheapest in New Jersey out of 251.
New Brunswick ranks as the #4,628 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in New Brunswick is $265,700.
The median income in New Brunswick is $49,338.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, New Brunswick has an overall cost of living index of 117, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New Jersey, New Brunswick has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than New Jersey's index of 111.
The standard of living in New Brunswick ranks as #69 most affordable out of the 251 places we measured in New Jersey. By definition, that implies New Brunswick ranks as the #182 most expensive place in the Garden State.
For more reading on life in New Brunswick, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in New Brunswick. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in New Brunswick is 113.
The Groceries index in New Brunswick is 106.
The Health index in New Brunswick is 103.
The Housing index in New Brunswick is 142.
The Transportation index in New Brunswick is 107.
The Utilities index in New Brunswick is 102.
Living Expense | New Brunswick | New Jersey | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 117 | 111 | 100 | |
Services | 113 | 104 | 100 | |
Groceries | 106 | 104 | 100 | |
Health | 103 | 95 | 100 | |
Housing | 142 | 130 | 100 | |
Transportation | 107 | 106 | 100 | |
Utilities | 102 | 108 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in New Jersey, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in New Brunswick is $265,700.
The Median Rent in New Brunswick is $1,597.
The Median Income in New Brunswick is $49,338.
The Home Value To Income in New Brunswick is 5.4x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in New Brunswick is 0.39x.
Statistic | New Brunswick | New Jersey | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $265,700 | $355,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,597 | $1,436 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $49,338 | $89,703 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 5.4x | 4.0x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.39x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
Item | New Brunswick | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.03 | $1.06 |
Movie | $12.59 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $17.73 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $20.73 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $36.4 | $39.05 |
Item | New Brunswick | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.87 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.67 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.41 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.09 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $11.4 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.19 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.16 | $2.34 |
Item | New Brunswick | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $101.33 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $94.5 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $113.15 | $99.13 |
Item | New Brunswick | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.26 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $56.66 | $50.07 |
Item | New Brunswick | New Jersey |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $174.26 | $167.67 |
Phone | $179.87 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around New Brunswick. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Westfield, NJ has a cost of living index of 170, 1.5x New Brunswick.
Somerset, NJ has a cost of living index of 123, 1.1x New Brunswick.
Colonia, NJ has a cost of living index of 127, 1.1x New Brunswick.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. New Brunswick |
---|---|---|---|
Westfield, NJ | 30,950 | 170 | 1.5x |
Somerset, NJ | 24,827 | 123 | 1.1x |
Colonia, NJ | 18,776 | 127 | 1.1x |
South River, NJ | 16,087 | 119 | 1.0x |
Highland Park, NJ | 14,947 | 128 | 1.1x |
Bradley Gardens, NJ | 14,798 | 144 | 1.2x |
Middlesex, NJ | 14,513 | 123 | 1.1x |
New Providence, NJ | 13,570 | 154 | 1.3x |
Martinsville, NJ | 11,980 | 155 | 1.3x |
East Franklin, NJ | 8,375 | 117 | 1.0x |