• Light/Dark
  • Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.

NJ Era Cost of Living question.

dingobingo

dingobingo

Banned
Dec 5, 2017
2,099
Hi all,

I'm currently living in Cincinnati but I have gotten an offer in New Jersey (Edison). What is the cost of living like in that area?

like 1 bedroom apartment, food, general stuff


Thanks!
 

Deleted member 12224

user requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
6,113
Middlesex County in the Edison, NB, Piscataway area? If you're not in New Brunswick proper, it's not bad for a 1BR. You can find stuff under 1400 for sure.

Gas is typically cheaper, even with the recent tax increase, due to refineries located in the state.

It's house buying and ownership (property taxes) where you'd feel a significant step up in COL.
 
Zapages

Zapages

Member
Oct 28, 2017
457
I work close to that area... I would say around 1.2 to 1.6k a month for the apartment alone.

Food and other stuff would be around 300 dollars.


Ps: prepare to have awesome Pakistani, Indian, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi food.
 
Armadilo

Armadilo

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
9,877
Where's the cheapest place to live that is near enough to New York and still be able to do everything ?
 
Jersey_Tom

Jersey_Tom

Banned
Dec 2, 2017
4,764
If you plan to buy, prepare for property tax hell.

For a one-bedroom rental expect to pay somewhere between $1,300 and $1,800 in Edison itself depending on how "luxury" you want your place to be. If you want to move further away you can probably find something cheaper. Food you can get away with ~$300 per month if you budget well and use coupons.

Be prepared for your car insurance to go up if you have one.
 
CesareNorrez

CesareNorrez

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,520
Zapages said:
I work close to that area... I would say around 1.2 to 1.6k a month for the apartment alone.

Food and other stuff would be around 300 dollars.


Ps: prepare to have awesome Pakistani, Indian, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi food.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

My part of Edison has a growing East/Southeast Asian population, specifically Korean. You can't throw a rock and without hitting a place that serves Bubble Tea. Which does me good, my wife and I love it.
 
DirtyLarry

DirtyLarry

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,112
Welcome to NJ. It gets a bum rap, but it is a pretty great place. Lots of diversity, lots of different cultures, close to NYC and close enough to Philly.

FYI you could always consider some towns near Edison as well such as Piscataway to potentially save a few hundred on rent. Not a whole lot but should be a little less depending on the area. By car should only be around a 15-20 minute commute in the morning from either assuming you will be working either on or right off of Route 27.

I live exactly 2 towns over from Edison, so know the area pretty damn good. If you start looking for places and have any follow up questions, feel free to DM me.

Also a pretty helpful tip and something to keep in mind when searching for somewhere to live, is if the town has a train station that has a direct line to NYC, which is a decent amount of the towns in this area, the rent will be higher, especially the closer it is to the train station.
 
Last edited:
mbpm

mbpm

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,544
I grew up in Edison. Can't answer about rent yet but it's not a bad place for a Jersey suburb
 

turtle553

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,219
Keep in mind Edison is a pretty big city geographically for NJ, so prices will vary depending on what part of the city (closer to trains/NYC, etc)
 
Crono

Crono

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,478
Is the job in Edison? Do you have a car and are willing to drive, it really depends on a lot of factors.
 
Luke_wal

Luke_wal

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,255
We live in New Brunswick area (15-20 minutes from Edison) and pay $1400 for a one bedroom we really love, and the only utilities we pay are electric and cooking gas (water and heating included). Seemed pretty standard when I looked 6 months ago, but we never specifically looked in Edison.
 
Zapages

Zapages

Member
Oct 28, 2017
457
CesareNorrez said:
My part of Edison has a growing East/Southeast Asian population, specifically Korean. You can't throw a rock and without hitting a place that serves Bubble Tea. Which does me good, my wife and I love it.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Yes so true! There''s H mart, coco, and MI tea!

My colleagues and I always go there after work!

NJ is great to live in. :)
 
OP
OP
dingobingo

dingobingo

Banned
Dec 5, 2017
2,099
thanks for the feedback, my job starts in two Mondays. Need to figure out how to get there from Cincinnati :D. Should be fun
 
bionic77

bionic77

Member
Oct 25, 2017
30,888
Forget everything you ever learned about left turns.

New Jersey doesn't have the technology for it.
 
bionic77

bionic77

Member
Oct 25, 2017
30,888
sphagnum said:
It's better this way.

Also learn how to make Korean food, you might as well do all your grocery shopping at H-Mart.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Nothing wrong with left turns.

Also OP better not be like half of the people I met from Jersey who all claim to live right outside of NYC. Just admit you live in New Jersey!
 

Xirj

Member
Sep 10, 2019
71
As people pointed out Edison has a lot of diversity and is pretty big. Having lived in Metuchen, the hole in the Edison donut, I would really recommend it. Also close to the train station if you'll be taking the train into the city or airport. Rent of 1300-1800 for 1 BR sounds right. Real estate is cheap but property taxes are very very very high. Since property taxes will go up with inflation it's kind of a worse deal than say Cali. But other than that the cost of living is quite good. Much better than NYC. Enjoy NJ, there are so many parks and you are 45-55 minutes away from downtown Manhattan by train.
 
Pau

Pau

Self-Appointed Godmother of Bruce Wayne's Children
Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,838
How's the public transportation system in NJ in the cities and towns closest to NYC? Is a car absolutely necessary?
 
TarpitCarnivore

TarpitCarnivore

Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,209
How much do you like traffic because Edison area is pretty brutal for that.

Also as someone already said the area is extremely diverse so there's tons of great food options
 
CesareNorrez

CesareNorrez

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,520
Pau said:
How's the public transportation system in NJ in the cities and towns closest to NYC? Is a car absolutely necessary?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Limited. There are bus routes and trains, but it's all really about about going to and from NYC and hitting the major cities along the way. I suppose you could getaway without a car as you could live close enough to do food shopping, but most people have cars.
 
TarpitCarnivore

TarpitCarnivore

Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,209
CesareNorrez said:
Limited. There are bus routes and trains, but it's all really about about going to and from NYC and hitting the major cities along the way. I suppose you could getaway without a car as you could live close enough to do food shopping, but most people have cars.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I'd argue most stuff in Hudson county can get by without one since there's so much right in that immediate area. But that's only if you plan to stay right there. Taking a bus or train to the beach? Expect at least an hour if not more
 
Pau

Pau

Self-Appointed Godmother of Bruce Wayne's Children
Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,838
Thanks for the responses! I've been so spoiled without a car for the past eight years. I never want to get one.

CesareNorrez said:
I suppose you could getaway without a car as you could live close enough to do food shopping, but most people have cars.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Yeah, I was wondering about that. I much prefer being able to walk to the grocery store and pharmacy.
 
Kill3r7

Kill3r7

Member
Oct 25, 2017
24,401
Pau said:
How's the public transportation system in NJ in the cities and towns closest to NYC? Is a car absolutely necessary?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

A car can be a necessity if you want to commute within the state on your own terms. NJTRANSIT when it works provides a decent commute to NYC. The problem is the infrastructure is old and it needed replacing a decade ago but alas here we are. The trains are newish at least. There are plenty of great towns with excellent school systems but housing isn't cheap.
 
AMAGON

AMAGON

Prominent Member
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,939
Austin, TX
$1300-1800 for a one bedroom round these parts.

I live in a studio in downtown Rahway which is like 5-10 minutes away from Edison. Direct train to NYC, you can get off at Newark and take the Path to Jersey City which I done numerous times.

I recommend my town after living here since last year, have dive bars and a brewery down the block from me, good stuff.
 
Christo750

Christo750

Member
May 10, 2018
4,263
dingobingo said:
Looks like I got the job, I'm now a jersey boy lol??? and thanks for the info
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Congratulations and welcome. We have great pizza and bagels.

If you're looking in Edison, try a little south of there in North Brunswick. I rented a 2BR with a friend for ~1450. You can definitely find a 1BR nearby for around $1200, just do your research.

EDIT: I actually didn't see your job was in Edison. Depending on how much of a commute you want, you can even go a little further south to Monmouth Junction. A friend of mine rented a 1BR place with in-unit laundry machines for I think $1150? It's right off Rt. 1 and it's a straight shot north to Edison.
 
smileyforall220

smileyforall220

Banned
Mar 3, 2019
1,831
When you get time, to explore the forests and national parks. It's nickname is the "garden state", something most people don't realize about jersey
 
TarpitCarnivore

TarpitCarnivore

Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,209
Christo750 said:
Congratulations and welcome. We have great pizza and bagels.

If you're looking in Edison, try a little south of there in North Brunswick. I rented a 2BR with a friend for ~1450. You can definitely find a 1BR nearby for around $1200, just do your research.

EDIT: I actually didn't see your job was in Edison. Depending on how much of a commute you want, you can even go a little further south to Monmouth Junction. A friend of mine rented a 1BR place with in-unit laundry machines for I think $1150? It's right off Rt. 1 and it's a straight shot north to Edison.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

What's the traffic direction for commutes? It's not far mileage but that commute could be hell. Route 1 is such a cluster of traffic. Do not miss living and driving around there
 
ryan299

ryan299

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,425
You'll find affordable rental options. Bergen county is super expensive. if you're buying a house, NJ has the highest property taxes in the country
 
PanickyFool

PanickyFool

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,947
There will be a moment where your GPS gives up and says "follow posted road signs."

Then you are in NJ.

Btw all the growth (basically all of the apartments) in the NYC area constructed over the past decade had been in NJ.
 
HStallion

HStallion

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
62,262
You can probably get a place for cheaper than what most are saying here if you head like a half hour south but don't go too far as you'll be getting closer to places like Princeton and that's the opposite of cheap lol.
 
el jacko

el jacko

Member
Dec 12, 2017
945
Isn't it true that you don't need to buy a house in NJ unless you're having kids? Like, your property taxes pay for the schools, which are supposed to be the best in the country.

At least, this is what I heard growing up in NYC and having friends who all moved out there (and to Westchester). I'd hate to live in those places though since I hate driving -if anything, I'd go for the Passaic - Paterson area which I've biked a bunch and is fun and surprisingly beautiful!
 
peteykirch

peteykirch

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,831
dingobingo said:
Hi all,

I'm currently living in Cincinnati but I have gotten an offer in New Jersey (Edison). What is the cost of living like in that area?

like 1 bedroom apartment, food, general stuff


Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

It's expensive, there's no two ways around it.

I'm in Franklin Park, which is like 15-20 minutes south of Edison and our 1 bedroom apartment is 1800 a month. Granted it's a big apartment 1200sq feet with a finished basement, but it's not cheap.

Food isn't that bad, there is a Costco in Edison so you can stock up quickly and cheaply.

You cannot buy alcohol at food stores here. Well, technically you can, but foodstores only get 2 liquor licenses per store. So that means only 2 Trader Joes can sell alcohol, only 2 Stop&Shop/Giants can sell alcohol, etc.

Edison is a huge melting pot that skews Asian more than anything so there are a ton of ethnic grocery stores if that's your jam.
 
CesareNorrez

CesareNorrez

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,520
TarpitCarnivore said:
What's the traffic direction for commutes? It's not far mileage but that commute could be hell. Route 1 is such a cluster of traffic. Do not miss living and driving around there
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Depends on the stretches of Route 1. When working in an office was a thing I commuted to Princeton and it wasn't too bad. It was 15 miles but took about 25-30 minutes. It was usually smooth sailing for the first 10 miles as there weren't many lights, but those last 5 miles took just as long as the first 10. If there was an accident, then forget it.

But over the past year they opened up the shoulders for rush hours in South Brunswick so that made the last stretch pretty decent (as long as there were no accidents). This probably saved me 10 minutes on a normal commute.
 
TarpitCarnivore

TarpitCarnivore

Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,209
CesareNorrez said:
Depends on the stretches of Route 1. When working in an office was a thing I commuted to Princeton and it wasn't too bad. It was 15 miles but took about 25-30 minutes. It was usually smooth sailing for the first 10 miles as there weren't many lights, but those last 5 miles took just as long as the first 10. If there was an accident, then forget it.

But over the past year they opened up the shoulders for rush hours in South Brunswick so that made the last stretch pretty decent (as long as there were no accidents). This probably saved me 10 minutes on a normal commute.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Last i lived there I was going Cranbury to East Brunswick so I was able to skip all of route 1, but having grown up right around the 18/1 corridor i just grew to loathe it as a whole
 
blackhawk163

blackhawk163

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,211
I used to live in the Edison donut hole called Metuchen. Great links to the train (I lived on hillside ave) and the turnpike and GSP are like 10 minutes on most days (Fridays during the summer you might as well forget about it) route one? I hated that stretch. Welcome to Jersey. Also I agree with the food stuffs.
 
OP
OP
dingobingo

dingobingo

Banned
Dec 5, 2017
2,099
Good stuff, looking at apts in New Brunswick and Edison. this move is going to be hard during covid, but the job and opportunity is great!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.