Here’s How Much Rent Your Favorite Sitcom Characters Would Pay in 2022
Part of the escapism of great TV lies in imagining what it would be like to step into these characters’ lives — especially their enviable apartments. But it’s no secret that the homes in which these people reside would be incredibly expensive in real life, especially when they’re based in major cities like New York City and Los Angeles. But how much rent would your favorite TV characters actually pay in 2022?
To find out, interior design studio Hovia made a list of popular sitcom apartments and calculated how much the characters living in them would have to pay for rent in the present day.
Monica and Rachel’s purple-walled “Friends” apartment is arguably one of the most iconic homes in TV history. Unlike many sitcoms, “Friends” explains how they could afford such a spacious condo on a chef and barista’s salaries — because Monica’s grandmother left her a rent-controlled apartment, they pay the ridiculously low rent of $200 per month. But in 2022, a two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan’s West Village costs an average of $6,554 a month.
Another legendary New York TV apartment is Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment in “Sex and the City,” which was reused in the revival series, “And Just Like That.” Although Carrie is able to afford a one-bedroom place on the Upper East Side as a writer, this likely wouldn’t be the case in 2022, where such an apartment would cost, on average, $4,072 per month.
One iconic TV home that the characters might actually be able to afford? Nick, Jess, Schmidt, and Winston’s Art District, Los Angeles loft in “New Girl.” A similar loft in the neighborhood would be worth an average of $4,800 per month, which becomes much more manageable when split between four people.
Below, you can find a full list of all six sitcom homes, and their average monthly rent:
Monica’s Apartment (“Friends”)
- Location: New York, New York
- Neighborhood: West Village, Manhattan
- Average monthly rent: $6,554
Ted and Marshall’s Apartment (“How I Met Your Mother”)
- Location: New York, New York
- Neighborhood: Upper West Side
- Average monthly rent: $7,100
Sheldon and Leonard’s Place (“The Big Bang Theory”)
- Location: Pasadena, California
- Neighborhood: City Center
- Average monthly rent: $2,894
Nick, Jess, Schmidt, and Winston’s Loft (“New Girl”)
- Location: Los Angeles, California
- Neighborhood: Arts District
- Average monthly rent: $4,800
Meredith’s House (“Grey’s Anatomy”)
- Location: Seattle, Washington
- Neighborhood: Queen Anne Hill
- Average monthly rent: $4,200
Carrie’s Apartment (“Sex and the City”)
- Location: New York, New York
- Neighborhood: Upper East Side
- Average monthly rent: $4,072
Rick’s Apartment (“Castle”)
- Location: New York, New York
- Neighborhood: SoHo
- Average monthly rent: $10,450