If Valentine’s Day yesterday wasn’t enough of a blow, it’s going to cost you a pretty penny to be by your lonesome in the Big Apple.
New York City has been marked as the most expensive place to live as a single person, according to a new study by the real estate firm Zillow.
The heartbreaking truth, the study says, is that singles pay on average $19,500 more across all boroughs a year for a one-bedroom, compared to someone living with a partner in the same area.
In Manhattan, this figure rises even higher, to $24,000 — making it the priciest borough.
San Francisco, which has also long been known as a high-price city, comes in second with a $14,000 “singles tax” for a one-bedroom apartment.
Meanwhile, partners who live together in New York City will save an average $39,000 per year.
Across all US cities, Detroit and Cleveland are labeled as having the lowest singles tax at $4,483 and $4,387.
| Regions Ranked by the Highest ‘Singles Tax’ | One-Bedroom Price | ‘Singles Tax’ | Couple Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. New York City | $3,250 | $19,500 | $39,000 |
| 2. San Francisco | $2,352 | $14,114 | $28,227 |
| 3. San Jose | $2,067 | $12,401 | $24,801 |
| 4. San Diego | $1,962 | $11,774 | $23,549 |
| 5. Boston | $1,924 | $11,546 | $23,091 |
| 6. Washington | $1,917 | $11,501 | $23,000 |
| 7. Seattle | $1,800 | $10,799 | $21,597 |
| 8. Los Angeles | $1,652 | $9,913 | $19,825 |
| 9. Miami | $1,541 | $9,248 | $18,496 |
| 10. Honolulu | $1,540 | $9,241 | $18,481 |
| United States | $1,163 | $6,976 | $13,953 |
“Living alone has its perks — you never have to share a bathroom, you have a claim to the TV at all times, and dirty dishes can stack up as long as you want, judgment free. But all that freedom comes with a cost,” Amanda Pendleton, Zillow home trends expert, says in the report.
“Even though rent prices are starting to cool, they are still significantly higher than they were a year ago. Renters considering going solo this year must decide how valuable living alone is to them, and if the cost is worth it.”
Nationally, singles pay nearly $7,000 extra per year for a median one-bedroom apartment.
[Written in collaboration with other media outlets with information from the following sources]
