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Television has often portrayed New Yorkers in huge apartments despite their incomes. You know the ones—Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City, Monica Geller in Friends. But just how much would they be paying in 2022 for their not-so-humble abodes?
That’s what interior design studio Hovia set out to do with its latest analysis. It created a list of popular sitcom apartments and how much the characters living in them would have to pay for rent in 2022.
As you might have guessed, they’d be shelling out thousands each month. Given how much they spend and what they make, renting these apartments just doesn’t make sense, according to Hovia.
“When writing a TV show, showing a realistic depiction of what life would be for the characters based on their salaries might not be a priority, however when watching any sitcom or similar, viewers will probably catch up on whether their favorite character could be able to afford their apartments,” the company said in a statement. “The reality is that most of those apartments are often more expensive than it might look, as they're located in popular neighborhoods of big cities, which combined with today’s average prices will prove just how unrealistic expectations are when watching TV.”
“In fact, ‘Friends’ seems to be the only show that attempts to explain just how Monica and Rachel are able to afford such a luxurious space, which goes in stark contrast to Carrie Bradshaw’s living arrangements, which is among the most unrealistic of all.”
Many of these characters would be in severe debt, too.
Below is how much some beloved NYC-based characters would have to pay for their apartments each month.
Carrie’s apartment in Sex and the City: $4,072 a month
Carrie’s one-bedroom apartment at 64 Perry Street, similar to Carrie’s infamous one on the Upper East Side, would cost an average of $4,072 a month, “meaning that the girl would most likely not be able to afford it with her writer salary,” Hovia says. I can confirm as a writer, this would not be possible to afford all alone!
Monica’s apartment in Friends: $6,554 a month
As one of the most famous NYC apartments in TV history, the Friends condo has been coveted by generations. Apparently, it was rent-controlled at $200 a month (outrageous!) because Monica’s grandmother left her the apartment. In real life today, a two-bedroom apartment in West Village just like theirs goes for an average of $6,554 a month.
Ted and Marshall’s apartment in How I Met Your Mother: $7,100 a month
Ted and Marshall lived in an Upper West Side apartment, which was the scene for the infamous “Interventions”, the group’s holiday celebrations and so much more. A real two-bedroom in the neighborhood would today be up for rent for an average of $7,100 a month. This is a lot but on both of their salaries as a lawyer and an architect, it’s likely they’d be able to afford it.
Richard Castle’s apartment in Castle: $10,450 a month
Castle’s apartment is so impressive and it should be—it’s a condo in Soho, which is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Manhattan. It’s a two-bedroom, which he shares with his daughter, so it is quite pricey. A similar apartment today would go for $10,450 a month! Usually, a writer could not afford this extravagance, but Castle is a best-selling author who has a series of thriller novels. It’s mildly believable that he could afford it.