The income required for a comfortable life in New York City might surprise you.

Living in the Big Apple can come with a hefty price tag.

A recent study reveals that singles in New York City need an impressive annual income of $184,420 to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. This finding comes from an analysis by GOBankingRates that utilized data from the 2024 U.S. Census American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and various other sources. In fact, New York is ranked fifth among the 50 largest cities in America.

By applying the 50/30/20 financial rule—allocating 50% for essentials, 30% for leisure, and 20% for savings—the research calculated that singles need at least $92,210 to manage living alone in NYC. They then doubled that figure to define what “living well” means here.

Interestingly, since many Americans own homes, GOBankingRates focused on real estate prices rather than rents. This particular approach might skew the numbers in a city like New York, where a lot of folks are renters.

Actually, many residents face higher rent costs than average mortgage payments, meaning the necessary income could exceed $184,420 for some. Of course, there’s also the option of sharing rent with a roommate, which can ease financial burdens significantly.

In comparison, San Jose tops the list as the priciest city to live comfortably. With single-family home prices hovering just over $1.5 million, it’s no surprise that the required income there skyrockets to $264,946 just to get by. The typical monthly mortgage in San Jose is a staggering $8,563.

Following San Jose, San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles come in second, third, and fourth, respectively, in terms of cost.

On the flip side, Detroit, Michigan stands out as the least expensive among the major U.S. cities. In fact, you’d only need a salary of $65,733 to live comfortably there.

Top 10 most expensive cities to live in the U.S.