Last updated 2026-07-10 ยท MovePlan Editorial Team
Above the national average, with housing doing most of the work.
Cost of living index (US avg = 100): 113
Median 2BR rent: $2,000/mo
Housing: 125 vs 100
Groceries: 106 vs 100
Utilities: 106 vs 100
Transportation: 106 vs 100
Healthcare: 102 vs 100
Elizabeth offers cold winters and warm, humid summers and a higher-cost place to land in New Jersey. Housing is the line item that moves your budget most, anchored here to a real median 2BR rent of about $2,000/mo.