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

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Median Home Price

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

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

Median Household Income

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

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

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