Cost of living · US
What salary do you need, city by city?
What salary do you need to live in US cities?
The salary you need to live alone varies enormously by city — driven by rent and state tax. New York and San Francisco demand far more than Houston or Columbus for the same lifestyle. Below is the rough salary needed to cover the essentials living alone in each major US city.
Verified 12 August 2026
| City | Monthly cost | Salary to get by | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $4,922 | $77,000 | Details → |
| San Francisco, CA | $4,150 | $62,000 | Details → |
| Boston, MA | $3,830 | $58,000 | Details → |
| Washington, DC | $3,325 | $51,000 | Details → |
| Miami, FL | $3,515 | $50,000 | Details → |
| Los Angeles, CA | $3,330 | $49,000 | Details → |
| Seattle, WA | $3,120 | $44,000 | Details → |
| Chicago, IL | $2,770 | $41,000 | Details → |
| Denver, CO | $2,630 | $39,000 | Details → |
| Atlanta, GA | $2,515 | $37,000 | Details → |
| Philadelphia, PA | $2,510 | $36,000 | Details → |
| Minneapolis, MN | $2,355 | $35,000 | Details → |
| Austin, TX | $2,440 | $34,000 | Details → |
| Dallas, TX | $2,380 | $33,000 | Details → |
| Phoenix, AZ | $2,320 | $33,000 | Details → |
| Nashville, TN | $2,410 | $33,000 | Details → |
| Houston, TX | $2,225 | $31,000 | Details → |
| San Antonio, TX | $2,050 | $28,000 | Details → |
| Columbus, OH | $2,070 | $28,000 | Details → |
| Detroit, MI | $1,980 | $28,000 | Details → |