Grocery Costs in New Jersey
How much do groceries cost in New Jersey?
A family of four in New Jersey spends about $1,141 a month on groceries, $13,693 a year, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator's food cost estimates. That puts New Jersey about 6% above the median state. Here is the full picture for New Jersey households, and how to come in under it. Groceries cost more in New Jersey than in most states: the MIT figure sits about 6% above the median state ($1,074 a month), so the planning habits below matter more here, not less.
A family of four in New Jersey spends about $1,141 a month on groceries, $13,693 a year, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator's food cost estimates. That puts New Jersey about 6% above the median state. Here is the full picture for New Jersey households, and how to come in under it.
Monthly grocery costs in New Jersey by household
| Household | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Family of four (2 adults, 2 children) | $1,141 | $13,693 |
| Family of two (2 adults) | $715 | $8,578 |
| One adult | $390 | $4,679 |
| Per person, in a family of four | $285 | $3,423 |
MIT Living Wage Calculator food estimates. MIT builds its food figures from the USDA low cost food plan and adjusts them for price levels in each state, New Jersey included. For New Jersey, the figures cover food made and eaten at home.
How New Jersey compares
Groceries cost more in New Jersey than in most states: the MIT figure sits about 6% above the median state ($1,074 a month), so the planning habits below matter more here, not less. Over a year, a family of four in New Jersey spends about $806 more on groceries than the same family in the median state, which is real money in a New Jersey family budget: roughly a month of childcare in a cheaper state, or a solid start on an emergency fund. Food is labor, land and transport priced locally, which is why the New Jersey state line moves this number so much.
ShopRite aisles and the New Jersey food budget
ShopRite is the center of gravity for many New Jersey grocery budgets, with Stop and Shop and Acme also widespread and Walmart serving families who drive for lower prices. Groceries are exempt from sales tax in New Jersey, which matters in a high cost state where every part of the monthly budget already feels stretched. SNAP is handled by the New Jersey Department of Human Services through its Division of Family Development, and WIC is run by the New Jersey Department of Health for pregnant and postpartum women and children under five. At $15.92, the minimum wage is among the higher state floors, and it helps with food, though it does not cancel out housing costs.
Budgeting by family size in New Jersey instead? New Jersey households can also start from the USDA food plan figures for a family of four and the rest of the family size tables, then run your real numbers in the grocery budget calculator. If your income is tight in New Jersey, check the maximum SNAP benefits by household size too.
Frequently asked questions
How much do groceries cost per month in New Jersey?
The MIT Living Wage Calculator puts food costs in New Jersey at $1,141 a month for a family of four (two adults and two children), $13,693 a year. In New Jersey, two adults come to $715 a month and one adult to $390 a month. The New Jersey figures cover food prepared and eaten at home, not restaurants.
How does New Jersey compare with other states?
New Jersey ranks 40 of 50 states for a family of four, about 6% above the median state of $1,074 a month. The cheapest state in the MIT data is Texas at $948 a month and the most expensive is Hawaii at $1,319 a month; New Jersey comes in at $1,141 a month.
How can I spend less than the New Jersey figure?
Treat the New Jersey numbers as budget benchmarks, not a floor. For a New Jersey family, meal planning around store sales, cooking once and eating twice, and keeping a running pantry list routinely trim 10% or more. On New Jersey's family of four figure, 10% is about $114 a month, $1,368 a year. Our grocery budget calculator helps you compare your real New Jersey spend with this benchmark.
Keep exploring
Neighboring states in the alphabet: New Hampshire · New Mexico
All states: grocery costs by state and family size · Tools: Grocery budget calculator · Family budget planner
Source: MIT Living Wage Calculator (livingwage.mit.edu), food cost estimates by state and household size, retrieved 2026-10-18. For New Jersey, MIT starts from the USDA low cost food plan and adjusts for state price levels. The New Jersey figures are planning benchmarks for food at home, not a quote for any one store.