City comparison
New Brunswick, NJ is about 20 miles (30 km) from Newark, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 27 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from New Brunswick, NJ to Newark, NJ takes about 3 min, covering roughly 20 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Newark has a population of 307,355, vs 55,718 in New Brunswick — about 5.5× larger by population. By land area, Newark covers about 24 sq mi vs 5.2 sq mi for New Brunswick.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | New Brunswick | Newark | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,754/mo | $1,273/mo | 37.8% higher in New Brunswick |
| Median home value | $289,800 | $312,300 | 7.8% higher in Newark |
| Median household income | $57,138 | $46,460 | 23.0% higher in New Brunswick |
| Groceries index | 107.2 | 109.6 | 2.2% higher in Newark |
| Utilities index | 121.4 | 128.8 | 6.1% higher in Newark |
| Transportation index | 103.3 | 105.4 | 2.0% higher in Newark |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 105.3 | 1.2% higher in Newark |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in New Brunswick, you'd need $101,144 in Newark to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
New Brunswick, NJ is about 1.1% cheaper overall than Newark, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in New Brunswick, you'd need about $80,915 in Newark to keep the same standard of living.