Is $80,000 Enough to Live in NYC Comfortably?

The NYC Cost of Living Breakdown

Let’s get this out of the way first: New York City is expensive. Period. But $80,000 a year? It’s not bad at all — if you know how to budget and don’t expect to live like a movie star in SoHo.

Rent: The Beast That Eats Your Paycheck

Rent is the biggie. You’ll likely be spending 30–50% of your income just to keep a roof over your head. That’s:

• $2,000–$3,300/month range

• Which is doable, but tight, especially if you're solo

So where can you live?

• Manhattan? Uh... maybe a micro-studio or a roommate situation.

• Brooklyn or Queens? Much better odds. Bushwick, Astoria, even parts of Bed-Stuy or Ridgewood are still (relatively) affordable.

• Staten Island? Yes, it’s a schlep, but your rent will thank you.

Honestly, if you split with a roommate, you could get away with $1,200–$1,600/month and actually have cash left to live.

Transportation: Subway Is Your Friend

At $132/month for an unlimited MetroCard, public transit in NYC is a lifesaver. If you’re not driving (which most locals don’t), you’ll save a fortune on gas, parking, and car insurance.

Forget Ubers daily. Unless you love watching your paycheck disappear.

Lifestyle: Can You Actually Have Fun?

Food: Endless Temptation

You could blow your entire check on sushi and brunch — trust me, I’ve tried. But you don’t have to.

• Groceries for one person: ~$400/month

• Eating out 2–3x a week? Add $200–$300 easily

• Daily coffees from cute cafes? Oh boy. That’s $120/month right there.

So yeah, it adds up fast. But with Trader Joe’s, some meal prepping, and limiting dinner splurges, you can eat decently and still go out sometimes.

Entertainment & Social Life

Look, this is NYC. You’ll always find free concerts, street events, museum days, comedy shows, etc. But happy hour drinks in Midtown? $18 cocktails if you're not careful.

Budget $150–$250/month for fun if you’re keeping it casual. Double that if you’re more “rosé on rooftops” energy.

What’s Left After Taxes?

Alright, let’s talk real numbers.

• $80,000/year gross

• After federal, state, and city taxes? You're looking at roughly $58,000–$60,000 take-home pay

• That’s around $4,800/month in your pocket

Now subtract:

• Rent: $1,600 (shared apartment)

• Utilities + internet: $150

• MetroCard: $132

• Groceries: $400

• Misc spending: $300

• Fun/luxuries: $300
  → Total: $2,882/month

You’d still have ~$1,900 buffer for savings, emergencies, travel, or impulse shopping (shoes, yes). Not too shabby.

Real-Life Example: My Friend Sara’s Setup

Sara’s a UX designer making around $82k. She lives in Astoria with one roommate, pays $1,400 in rent, and works remotely 3 days/week. She goes out once a week, takes short trips upstate, and even manages to save ~$700/month.

She told me, “I’m not rich, but I’m living well — I’ve got my space, my wine nights, and my sanity.”

Exactly.

Can You Save on This Salary?

Short answer: yes, if you plan. $80K isn’t a baller’s salary in NYC, but it’s enough to live comfortably, independently, and with some fun — assuming you’re not living paycheck-to-paycheck by choice.

Set up a budget. Avoid bougie traps (no $12 green juices daily, sorry). Build an emergency fund. You’ll be golden.

Conclusion: Is $80,000 Enough in NYC?

Yes. If you’re single or have a dual-income setup, $80,000 can totally support a solid, even fun lifestyle in New York City. You’ll make some trade-offs, sure — but you won’t be eating ramen every night either (unless you want to, because NYC has bomb ramen).

Balance is the key. And hey, in the city that never sleeps, you can still live big — without spending big.

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The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.

Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?

How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).

How tall is a average 15 year old?

Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years

How to get taller at 18?

Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.

Is 5.7 a good height for a 15 year old boy?

Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).

Can you grow between 16 and 18?

Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.

Can you grow 1 cm after 17?

Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.