Cost of Living: Jersey City, NJ vs Oakland, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,144/mo in Jersey City, NJ versus $3,974/mo in Oakland, CA. In the model, rent is about 27.72% of gross in Jersey City, NJ versus 27.93% in Oakland, CA, so Jersey City, NJ tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Jersey City, NJ
$4,144/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Oakland, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Jersey City, NJ
27.72%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Oakland, CA
27.93%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Jersey City, NJ and Oakland, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Jersey City, NJ
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Jersey City, NJ
  • Lower home prices: Jersey City, NJ
  • Higher median household income: Oakland, CA

Cost of Living Index

Jersey City, NJ: 155.6 (U.S. = 100) · Oakland, CA: 165.2 (U.S. = 100)

Jersey City, NJ has a lower cost-of-living index than Oakland, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Jersey City, NJ: $1,807/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Oakland, CA: $1,821/mo

Median rent in Oakland, CA is $14/mo higher than in Jersey City, NJ.

Median Home Price

Jersey City, NJ: $534,500 · Oakland, CA: $924,700

Median home price in Oakland, CA is $390,200 higher than in Jersey City, NJ.

Median Household Income

Jersey City, NJ: $94,813 · Oakland, CA: $97,369

Oakland, CA has a higher median household income than Jersey City, NJ by $2,556.

Jersey City, NJ overview · Oakland, CA overview · Popular comparisons