A US woman recently shared a detailed breakdown of what it costs to live in as a “frugal couple”, revealing that she and her husband spent $7,840 ( ₹7.4 lakh) in a month, including $2,800 ( ₹2.6 lakh) on rent and $1,210 ( ₹1.1 lakh) on groceries.
The woman, who goes by Alli Edition on , shared the monthly spending breakdown in a video. “How much does it actually cost to live in New York City as a frugal couple on a budget? Let me tell you,” she said.
The woman revealed that she and her partner pay $2,800 for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment near Columbus Circle. She acknowledged that the apartment has its share of problems, but she described the rent as a “good deal”.
She shared that their biggest monthly expense after rent was groceries, at $1,210. They also spent $617 (around ₹58,000) on eating out.
The woman said that transportation cost them $532 ( ₹50,000). But she noted that their spending had increased during the summer because they were using Citi Bikes – official public cycle-sharing system – more frequently.
Further, bills and subscriptions, including phones, insurance and other subscriptions, came to $671 (around ₹63,000). The couple also spent another $159 ( ₹15,000) on gym memberships.
The woman shared that their coffee and matcha purchases added $237 (around ₹22,000) to their monthly spending. Other expenses included $847 ( ₹80,000) on shopping, $484 (around ₹46,000) on miscellaneous expenses, $212 ( ₹20,000) on apartment utilities and $73 (around ₹7,000) on miscellaneous home items.
Adding everything together, the woman shared that their total spending for a month came to $7,840 (around ₹7.4 lakh).
Social media reactions
The breakdown prompted several users to weigh in on the cost of living in New York City.
Reacting to the post, one user wrote, “Fair spend! Don’t cut on groceries. Eating well is the whole point of earning well.”
“I live in Sweden and I’m getting choked up every time you do a summary like this! That’s more money in a month than most of us earn in 4 months in Sweden! Then I read the comments and realize that those seem to be completely normal prices? New York really does cost… A LOT! I definitely think it’s worth it and if you can, you should I guess,” commented another.
“I spend about the same amount on groceries in Tel Aviv and I don’t cook lunch every day, that price is considered kinda high here but if you guys always eat at home it’s actually pretty reasonable,” wrote a third user.
“Wow – also in the neighborhood and I will say your spending is exactly right on and very similar to ours. 🙂 I will say your rent is insanely low – like 2018 prices! Awesome!!!” said another.
“that’s very reasonable for a couple.. I spend close to that as a single woman living alone,” commented one user.
