Most Expensive Cities in America: In the typical American city, the monthly cost of living is $5,111.17. That works out to $61,334 each year. Many people’s finances would be stretched to the breaking point, but for renters in America’s most pricey cities, mostly in California, anything less than six figures is out of the question.
careerswave analysed rental data from ApartmentList, cost-of-living statistics from Sperling’s Best, and average spending data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify the most financially problematic cities in America. Any city with a livability score of less than 65 on AreaVibes did not make the cut.
So, you believe it’s difficult to make ends meet where you live? Try these ten cities in America with the most expensive rents.
10 Most Expensive Cities in America
Emeryville, California
Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in 2022: $2,631.29
The yearly cost of living in Emeryville, home of Pixar Animation Studios, is $94,147.69, or $7,845.64 per month. The tradeoff is a similarly low livability score of 67, which is considered average and the lowest on the list.
Marina del Rey, California
1 bedroom rent in 2022: $4,471.14
Marina del Rey lies at the other extreme of the livability scale, with just one other city scoring higher at 84. It, too, has a low yearly cost of living in the six figures. You may make a life there for $98,931.74, or $8,244.31 each month. However, rent is exorbitant – a one-bedroom in Marina del Rey costs approximately $1,400 more than the next most costly city.
Lake Forest, California
Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in 2022: $2,545.00
Lake Forest has the third-lowest livability score on the list, at 77. It’s one of just four that’s under 80. The tradeoff is the second lowest rent in the ranking. The yearly cost of living there is $102,979.79, or $8,581.65 per month.
Hoboken, New Jersey
Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in 2022: $2,988.14.
Hoboken is the only non-California city on the list, but its great livability score of 85 may be worth the cross-country drive – no other city on the list scores higher. Housing isn’t cheap; just three cities have higher monthly rents. The yearly cost of living is $107,518.50, or $8,959.88 per month.
Irvine, California
2022 one-bedroom rent: $2,675.57
Irvine is the last of just four cities on the list with a livability score less than 80, with a 79 deemed outstanding. Irvine’s yearly cost of living is $114,755.91, which translates to $9,562.99 per month, making it the final city on the list where you can live on less than $10,000 per month.
Union City, California
Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in 2022 is $2,497.29.
Union City’s livability score of 68 is the second lowest on the list, trailing only Emeryville. The tradeoff is that it has the lowest rent of any of the ten cities. With an annual cost of living of $122,054.66, you’ll need $10,171.22 every month to make a living there.
Dublin, California
Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in 2022 is $2,753.29 per month.
You’ll have to pay to enjoy Dublin’s great livability – the city has a score of 82. Dublin has a similar yearly cost of living as Union City, at $122,115.99, or $10,176.33 per month.
Foster City, California
1 bedroom rent in 2022: $3,085.14
Foster City is one of just two cities in California with an average rent exceeding $3,000, trailing only Marina del Rey. That will get you an amazing cost of living score of 80, but rent is far from the only financial factor. Foster City has an astounding annual cost of $176,764.59, or $14,730.38 each month.
Newport Beach, California
2022 one-bedroom rent: $2,664.00
Newport Beach is one of just two cities on the list with an annual cost of living above $200,000 – $216,693.02 to be exact. That works out to $18,057.75 each month.
Cupertino, California
2022 1-bedroom rent: $2,996.00
If you want to live in Cupertino, Apple’s hometown, you’ll need to come up with $18,124.20 every month, or $217,490.36 per year. Apple, on the other hand, has good taste in real estate – Cupertino’s livability score of 83 places it in the top three.