New Jersey Grocery Budget Calculator
$1,494/mo for 4 in New Jersey on the USDA Moderate-Cost plan ($4.09 per person per meal). Groceries are sales-tax exempt.
At New Jersey grocery prices, USDA's Moderate-Cost food plan for a family of four costs about $1,494 a month — about $345 a week, or $4.09 per person per meal. New Jersey exempts unprepared groceries from sales tax, so the effective grocery rate is 0% and that basket carries $0 of state grocery tax — not the 6.625% general rate that applies to other merchandise (prepared and restaurant food is still taxable). $17,924 a year is 17.19% of New Jersey's $104,294 median household income. Official vs modeled: USDA does not publish a state-specific food-plan cost for New Jersey, so the New Jersey figure is StateCalc's model of USDA's national August 2026 figure at New Jersey's grocery prices.
Estimate only — these are not official figures
USDA's August 2026 national plan figures × New Jersey's C2ER grocery price index of 107.6; USDA publishes no New Jersey figure, so the result is modeled
Do not rely on these amounts for budgeting or payment. For exact amounts, check the USDA Cost of Food at Home reports for the national plan figures.
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Pre-filled: C2ER Cost of Living Index, Grocery component (via MERIC)
Monthly Grocery Budget
Estimated • Based on your inputs
Total Monthly Food Cost
$1,471.73
Food as % of New Jersey's Median Income
16.93%
Detailed Breakdown
Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only. Results should not be considered financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional for your specific situation.
How This Calculator Works
Calculation methodology and assumptions
New Jersey inputs: grocery price index 107.6 (C2ER Grocery component, Q2 2026, via MERIC), so USDA's August 2026 national plan figures are multiplied by 1.076 rather than by the overall cost-of-living index of 119.2. A family of 4 in New Jersey: Thrifty ~$1,102, Low-Cost ~$1,211, Moderate ~$1,494, Liberal ~$1,806 a month. New Jersey exempts most groceries (unprepared food for home consumption) from state sales tax. Prepared/restaurant food is still taxable. Grocery tax used here: 0% (general sales tax 6.625%). Food as a share of income divides by New Jersey's $104,294 median household income, and restaurant meals default to $21. Those are modeled figures; the USDA method every state shares is explained on the grocery budget hub.
Key State Information
New Jersey food cost context: grocery price index 107.6 (above the U.S. 100) | cost of living index 119.2 | Effective grocery tax rate: 0% | median household income $104,294.
Example Calculation
Let's build a realistic grocery budget for a family in New Jersey.
New Jersey's grocery price index is 107.6 (C2ER Grocery component, Q2 2026, via MERIC; 100 = national average), which scales USDA's national Moderate-cost figure for a family of four to roughly $1,494/month here.
Result: Recommended monthly grocery budget in New Jersey: approximately $1,494. The Thrifty plan (about $1,102/month) is achievable with meal planning and cooking from scratch. Switching from the Liberal plan (~$1,806/month) down to Moderate saves roughly $3,744/year per family — mostly by cutting convenience foods and eating out less.
Worked example: groceries for a family of four in New Jersey
$1,388.20 (USDA Moderate-Cost, reference family of four, August 2026) × 1.0760 (New Jersey's C2ER grocery index, 107.6 in Q2 2026) = $1,493.70 a month, $17,924.40 a year. New Jersey charges no state tax on groceries.
| Household | Thrifty | Moderate-Cost | Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $370 | $474 | $591 |
| 2 people | $678 | $869 | $1,083 |
| 3 people | $902 | $1,199 | $1,465 |
| 4 people | $1,102 | $1,494 | $1,806 |
| 5 people | $1,308 | $1,774 | $2,145 |
StateCalc Team
Editorial Team
The StateCalc team builds free financial calculators using data from official government sources including the IRS, U.S. Census Bureau, BLS, and state revenue departments. All formulas are validated by an automated test suite and cross-referenced against published data.
Our editorial standardsFrequently Asked Questions
How much should I spend on groceries in New Jersey?
On USDA's Moderate-Cost plan at New Jersey prices: about $1,494 a month for a family of 4, $869 for two adults and $474 for one adult. The Thrifty to Liberal range for 4 is Thrifty ~$1,102, Low-Cost ~$1,211, Moderate ~$1,494 to Liberal ~$1,806.
What is the average meal cost in New Jersey?
About $4.09 per person for a home-cooked meal: $1,494 a month ÷ 4 people ÷ 30.44 days ÷ 3 meals. Restaurant meals are separate; this page defaults them to $21.
What is the average weekly grocery bill in New Jersey?
About $345 a week for a family of four and $109 for one person (the monthly figures × 12 ÷ 52).
Are groceries taxed in New Jersey?
New Jersey exempts most groceries (unprepared food for home consumption) from state sales tax. Prepared/restaurant food is still taxable. On the $1,494 family-of-4 basket that is about $0 a year in state grocery tax, at an effective grocery tax rate of 0%.
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