News

Manhattan is the most expensive place to live in the U.S.

NYC’s tony borough takes the top spot when it comes to cost of living.

Shaye Weaver
Written by
Shaye Weaver
Editor, Time Out New York
NYC
Photograph: Shutterstock
Advertising

We all know Manhattan is hella expensive, but it’s apparently the most expensive place to live in the entire country. The cost of living is more than double the national average, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research’s Cost of Living Index.

First reported by CNBC, the report states that Manhattan’s cost of living is 24% more than Honolulu’s, the second-most expensive urban area in the U.S. and 31% higher than San Francisco’s, the third-most expensive city.

RECOMMENDED: Brooklyn’s median asking price hits $1 million for first time in recent history

This means that if you live in Manhattan, you are paying more to live there than anyone else is paying in their respective cities. 

The rank was given by looking at housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, health care and miscellaneous goods or services, CNBC says. This data was collected between January 1 and March 31, this year.

These are the top 10 most expensive urban areas, according to the analysis:

  1. New York (Manhattan)
  2. Honolulu
  3. San Francisco
  4. New York (Brooklyn)
  5. Orange County, California
  6. Los Angeles (Long Beach)
  7. Washington, D.C.
  8. Boston
  9. Seattle
  10. San Diego

Housing is 4.8 times the national average in Manhattan—wealthy residents and limited space push up prices. Plus, Manhattan has the highest “miscellaneous living costs,” like entertainment, alcohol and clothing. Anecdotally, grocery expenses are absurdly high.

If you think the outer boroughs are any better, you’d be wrong. Brooklyn comes in as the fourth most expensive place to live in the U.S., Queens is the 13th most expensive and Long Island’s Nassau County is the 15th.

But we knew this already, right? We live here because we love it. Not because it’s easy.

Popular on Time Out

    More on city identity
      You may also like
      You may also like
      Advertising