Heat and hot water are generally included in the price of NYC rent so that leaves gas and electric.Īgain, having a roommate or two can be tremendously helpful in cutting down this cost. Renter’s Insurance is super cheap, provided you don’t have anything too fancy in your new digs that requires extra insuring. My bf has had his apartment broken into and burglarized twice. I was across the street from the site of the 2015 East Village explosion when it happened and saw 3 full apartment buildings burn to the ground within an hour. And yes, it’s the kind of insurance that’s totally worth having. Renter’s insurance protects you and your belongings in case of disaster, theft or vandalism. (Bonus: It can also be a lot easier to secure a sublet, as you often don’t have to have prove an income 40x the monthly rent – the standard when shopping for an NYC lease of your own). Instead of a signing a lease and committing to a year in a new location, a short-term sublet will give you the flexibility to become familiar with various, affordable neighborhoods before settling down.

If you’re just starting out, moving to New York City for the first time, consider subletting an apartment when you first arrive. This is just partial list to introduce you to areas beyond midtown and downtown Manhattan. Some prime neighborhoods for affordable NYC housing include Washington Heights, Inwood, and Harlem (my neighborhood) in Manhattan Astoria and Long Island City in Queens Bushwick in Brooklyn and Union City and West New York in New Jersey. To keep housing costs under $1,000 per month, you’ll likely have to share your living space, but you can still afford your own room in a fairly spacious apartment. You don’t have pay 3k for a decent place to live, nor do you have to subject yourself to living in a windowless, basement shoebox to afford your rent. How Much Do You REALLY Need to Live In New York City? New York City Rent: $900/month You won’t find fine dining or the trappings of luxe living in these numbers, but you may find that living in New York City doesn’t cost nearly as much as ill-informed speculators and the media frenzy would have you believe. This sample budget is meant to reflect a comfortable yet frugal New York City lifestyle for a single adult. Sure, I’d love if it were cheaper to live in New York City, but by the same token, there are more than enough resources available in the Big Apple to reduce expenses, and even cut out entire expense categories – bye, bye car payments.

New York City is as expensive as you want it to be. Judging by the fact that over 8 million people live in New York City, I’m guessing a good number manage to figure it out.Īre all those people living beyond their means, accumulating credit card debt and living the high life for the opportunity to say ‘I’m a New Yorker’?Īfter living in NYC for over ten years, I’ve come to learn that… How do people live a comfortable life making less than six-figures in expensive cities?

Neyo do you live