# Manhattan cost of living for family of 3



## pcb (Apr 4, 2014)

Hi all,

Looking good for a job offer in Manhattan. All the visa stuff should be fine. My question is regarding expected quality of living. I've done the calculations of fed, state, city tax, and salary would be 110-120K net. In addition, employer subsidizes healthcare and schooling.

So what I want to know is, would it be reasonably easy to live in a nice but not necessarily luxurious area in a family-oriented, transport-connected part of manhattan. My expected (and negotiable) standard of living would be: 
2 bedroom apartment, doorman not necessary
owning a car not necessary 
money for dinner out in lower end places 3-4 times a month 
takeout 1-2 times a week
good quality but not fancy food
good quality but not fancy clothes
gym for me, yoga class for wife
money for theatre/film/music 1-2 times per month
1-2 week holiday out of state every year or so

I know quite a few people in NYC but they are all DINKs/Bachelors, so its hard to compare their experiences.

Cheers,

Phil


----------



## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

So, to recap, you'll have an after tax income of about $115K which then must cover only housing, food, utilities, entertainment, and public transportation in Manhattan. (And possibly modest medical insurance deductibles/co-pays and non-tuition school-related expenses.)

Yes, in my view that'll be perfectly fine as long as you're not unusually extravagant.


----------



## pcb (Apr 4, 2014)

Thanks BBC, correct. The potential extravagance is I'm keen to have a really good apartment, (in terms of location, environment, amenities, rather than luxury).


----------



## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

There's tremendous variability in rental rates. You can pay extraordinary rates for certain two bedroom apartments at the top end of the market. You won't be living in those. 

It's pretty easy to get a general sense of the current market online.


----------



## sharbuck (Dec 10, 2013)

Try a website called truila, you can pull up rentals with photos, prices and neighborhood info. That way you will get accurate info on going rates and availability by neighborhoods. Have used it in several cities when we moved 
.


----------



## pcb (Apr 4, 2014)

Thanks, I've gone and checked out trulia. I've seen a variety of places that look reasonable for 3.5-4K. Are there areas of Manhattan that are better for family life that someone could rwend? I'm talking about parks, schools, lots of people at the same life stage.


----------



## pcb (Apr 4, 2014)

(Obviously, there are many such neighbourhoods, but I'm wondering about others personal experiences)


----------



## sharbuck (Dec 10, 2013)

Visited NYC a lot when we lived in Philly but can't tell you about neighborhoods. If wanting to commute you can look at Jersey suburbs and also across the bridge in Brooklyn. Trains and subway are easy to commute.


----------



## koppazee (Mar 11, 2011)

sharbuck said:


> Visited NYC a lot when we lived in Philly but can't tell you about neighborhoods. If wanting to commute you can look at Jersey suburbs and also across the bridge in Brooklyn. Trains and subway are easy to commute.


Fully agree with Sharbuck. I lived in NYC for many years. To contain the cost of rent, look into areas of Brooklyn such as Williamsburg or Red Hook. Very short train ride, up and coming communities and all the same variables that the OP posted but at less than Manhattan prices. Warm regards!


----------



## 2fargone (Jun 14, 2011)

I lived in Manhattan and Brooklyn. If it was me and I was doing it all over again I would rather live in Brooklyn and have a little more space and maybe a tiny backyard then be cramped in a apartment in Manhattan.

I lived in Brooklyn Heights loved the area and I was one stop from Manhattan. I think prices have gone up since I left almost 8 years ago so I am not sure what a 2 bedroom would cost now. Also Park Slope is a nice area in Brooklyn. It is further away from Manhattan, but you would be able to have a bigger place.

In Manhattan look up UES, UWS, Chelsea for 'family places' but I don't know what kind of place you are going to get with your budget. It might be good to explore other options. Maybe check out Westchester too.


----------



## koppazee (Mar 11, 2011)

2fargone said:


> I lived in Manhattan and Brooklyn. If it was me and I was doing it all over again I would rather live in Brooklyn and have a little more space and maybe a tiny backyard then be cramped in a apartment in Manhattan. I lived in Brooklyn Heights loved the area and I was one stop from Manhattan. I think prices have gone up since I left almost 8 years ago so I am not sure what a 2 bedroom would cost now. Also Park Slope is a nice area in Brooklyn. It is further away from Manhattan, but you would be able to have a bigger place. In Manhattan look up UES, UWS, Chelsea for 'family places' but I don't know what kind of place you are going to get with your budget. It might be good to explore other options. Maybe check out Westchester too.
> 
> The suggested places mentioned by 2fargone are also very much worth looking into although I disagree with Westchester. Also consider that if you must pay income tax, Westchester is a different tax base and the commute is longer and more expensive than taking the NYC Subway system. Warm regards!


----------



## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

A guy I know recently moved from an apartment in Brooklyn to a condo in Westchester County (Hartsdale). He loves Brooklyn, but it's becoming too expensive.
He was living in Ditmas Park, renting a 2 bedroom apartment for $1,950 but they were raising prices (new renters had to pay $2,300 for the same place!). 
He bought a condo now and including condo fees + mortgage + property taxes he pays less than the $1,950.
It now takes him 40 minutes by train to get to Grand Central Station in Manhattan.


----------

