New York
United States
The World's Cultural Capital — Endless Options at Every Price Point
New York City is the ultimate test of a FIRE portfolio — brutally expensive but offering an unmatched density of culture, cuisine, and connection. With world-class healthcare at Mount Sinai and NYU Langone, no car needed thanks to the subway, and a social scene that never sleeps, NYC rewards those with the budget to match its ambitions. The high cost of living means your withdrawal rate works harder, but no other city on earth packs this much life per square block.
What Your Portfolio Gets You in New York
We break down the lifestyle you can afford at five portfolio levels, using a 4% safe withdrawal rate. Each tier shows realistic monthly costs for housing, food, healthcare, entertainment, and more in New York.
Your Portfolio
Compact studio or room in a shared apartment in Washington Heights, Astoria, or Bushwick — character-rich neighborhoods with long commutes
Dollar-slice pizza, Chinatown dumpling houses, halal carts, and bodega breakfast sandwiches — NYC's best cheap eats are legendary
ACA marketplace bronze plan through NY State of Health, community health center for routine care
Unlimited MetroCard for subway and bus — this is your lifeline across all five boroughs
Free museum nights (Met is pay-what-you-wish), Central Park, free concerts in Prospect Park, $30 rush tickets on Broadway
True 1-bedroom apartment in Harlem, Park Slope, Long Island City, or the East Village — a real neighborhood with personality
Regular dinners at neighborhood bistros and ramen spots, weekend brunch culture, cocktail bars in the West Village
ACA silver plan with access to NYU Langone or Mount Sinai network, dental included, manageable deductibles
Unlimited MetroCard plus occasional Lyft rides and Citi Bike membership for crosstown trips
Broadway shows monthly, MoMA and Whitney memberships, jazz at Village Vanguard, comedy at the Cellar, Mets or Nets games
Spacious 1-bedroom or small 2-bedroom in the West Village, Upper West Side, or Brooklyn Heights — classic NYC living at its finest
Regular tables at Balthazar, Gramercy Tavern, and neighborhood gems. Omakase splurges, wine-paired tasting menus, and supper clubs
Premium PPO with access to top-tier specialists at Memorial Sloan Kettering and Hospital for Special Surgery, concierge primary care
MetroCard and Citi Bike plus regular Lyft rides, weekend car service to the Hamptons or Hudson Valley
Orchestra seats on Broadway, premium jazz club tables, Met Opera balcony seats, SoHo gallery openings, seasonal Governors Island events
Luxury doorman 2-bedroom in Tribeca, a brownstone floor-through in the West Village, or a Park Avenue classic six with Central Park proximity
Private chef for weeknight dinners, Le Bernardin and Eleven Madison Park for special occasions, membership at exclusive dining clubs
Concierge medicine through Sollis Health or One Medical, full dental and vision, annual executive physical at NYU Langone
Black car service on demand via Blade or private driver, Jitney membership to the Hamptons, occasional helicopter transfers
Patron-level memberships at the Met and MoMA, private box at Madison Square Garden, front-row galas, exclusive art fair previews at Frieze
Full-time housekeeper, weekly deep cleaning, laundry service, dog walker if needed
Equinox+ membership, personal stylist, premium co-working at NeueHouse, annual wardrobe refresh, weekend house in Hudson Valley
Trophy penthouse in Tribeca or a full-floor residence on Central Park West with panoramic park and skyline views, white-glove concierge building
Full-time private chef with Michelin pedigree, curated wine cellar, exclusive supper club circuit, flying in truffles and wagyu for dinner parties
Elite concierge medical team, longevity protocols, fly-anywhere specialist access, private suite at NYP or Mount Sinai if ever needed
Full-time private driver with luxury sedan, Blade helicopter membership, NetJets card for East Coast and European hops
Board seats at major cultural institutions, private art collection curation, front-row Met Gala tables, philanthropic galas, art patronage
Full household staff: estate manager, private chef, housekeeper, personal assistant, and weekend house caretaker
Hamptons estate maintenance, bespoke tailoring at Savile Row on trips, private art advisor, charitable foundation, interior designer on retainer
$3,333/month at 4% safe withdrawal rate
Compact studio or room in a shared apartment in Washington Heights, Astoria, or Bushwick — character-rich neighborhoods with long commutes
Dollar-slice pizza, Chinatown dumpling houses, halal carts, and bodega breakfast sandwiches — NYC's best cheap eats are legendary
ACA marketplace bronze plan through NY State of Health, community health center for routine care
Unlimited MetroCard for subway and bus — this is your lifeline across all five boroughs
Free museum nights (Met is pay-what-you-wish), Central Park, free concerts in Prospect Park, $30 rush tickets on Broadway
What life looks like in New York
A scrappy, exhilarating life in the world's greatest city on a shoestring. You'll eat $1 dumplings in Flushing, catch free Shakespeare in the Park, and discover that NYC's best experiences — the street life, the people-watching, the sheer energy — cost nothing. It's tight, but ten million people would trade places with you.
$6,667/month at 4% safe withdrawal rate
True 1-bedroom apartment in Harlem, Park Slope, Long Island City, or the East Village — a real neighborhood with personality
Regular dinners at neighborhood bistros and ramen spots, weekend brunch culture, cocktail bars in the West Village
ACA silver plan with access to NYU Langone or Mount Sinai network, dental included, manageable deductibles
Unlimited MetroCard plus occasional Lyft rides and Citi Bike membership for crosstown trips
Broadway shows monthly, MoMA and Whitney memberships, jazz at Village Vanguard, comedy at the Cellar, Mets or Nets games
What life looks like in New York
The real New York experience — a proper apartment in a neighborhood you love, dinners at the restaurants that make food writers swoon, and a cultural calendar that could fill every night of the week. You'll see more live music, theater, and art in a month than most people see in a year. This is the city working for you.
$10,000/month at 4% safe withdrawal rate
Spacious 1-bedroom or small 2-bedroom in the West Village, Upper West Side, or Brooklyn Heights — classic NYC living at its finest
Regular tables at Balthazar, Gramercy Tavern, and neighborhood gems. Omakase splurges, wine-paired tasting menus, and supper clubs
Premium PPO with access to top-tier specialists at Memorial Sloan Kettering and Hospital for Special Surgery, concierge primary care
MetroCard and Citi Bike plus regular Lyft rides, weekend car service to the Hamptons or Hudson Valley
Orchestra seats on Broadway, premium jazz club tables, Met Opera balcony seats, SoHo gallery openings, seasonal Governors Island events
What life looks like in New York
A polished Manhattan or brownstone Brooklyn existence where you never say no to the city's offerings. Front-row Broadway seats, a standing reservation at your neighborhood trattoria, and weekends escaping to the Hudson Valley or Hamptons. You live the New York that people write novels about.
$16,667/month at 4% safe withdrawal rate
Luxury doorman 2-bedroom in Tribeca, a brownstone floor-through in the West Village, or a Park Avenue classic six with Central Park proximity
Private chef for weeknight dinners, Le Bernardin and Eleven Madison Park for special occasions, membership at exclusive dining clubs
Concierge medicine through Sollis Health or One Medical, full dental and vision, annual executive physical at NYU Langone
Black car service on demand via Blade or private driver, Jitney membership to the Hamptons, occasional helicopter transfers
Patron-level memberships at the Met and MoMA, private box at Madison Square Garden, front-row galas, exclusive art fair previews at Frieze
Full-time housekeeper, weekly deep cleaning, laundry service, dog walker if needed
Equinox+ membership, personal stylist, premium co-working at NeueHouse, annual wardrobe refresh, weekend house in Hudson Valley
What life looks like in New York
The New York that the rest of the world fantasizes about. Your Tribeca loft or Village brownstone hosts intimate dinner parties, your name is on benefit committee lists, and your weekends alternate between Hamptons beach houses and Hudson Valley retreats. The city's velvet ropes part for you effortlessly.
$33,333/month at 4% safe withdrawal rate
Trophy penthouse in Tribeca or a full-floor residence on Central Park West with panoramic park and skyline views, white-glove concierge building
Full-time private chef with Michelin pedigree, curated wine cellar, exclusive supper club circuit, flying in truffles and wagyu for dinner parties
Elite concierge medical team, longevity protocols, fly-anywhere specialist access, private suite at NYP or Mount Sinai if ever needed
Full-time private driver with luxury sedan, Blade helicopter membership, NetJets card for East Coast and European hops
Board seats at major cultural institutions, private art collection curation, front-row Met Gala tables, philanthropic galas, art patronage
Full household staff: estate manager, private chef, housekeeper, personal assistant, and weekend house caretaker
Hamptons estate maintenance, bespoke tailoring at Savile Row on trips, private art advisor, charitable foundation, interior designer on retainer
What life looks like in New York
At this level, you are New York. Your Central Park penthouse hosts the fundraisers that make Page Six, your art collection rivals small museums, and your name is synonymous with philanthropy and taste. The Met Gala, Art Basel, and Davos are your social calendar — and your Hamptons compound is where Manhattan's elite escape on your invitation.
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