New York • Reality Check

Can You Afford Williamsburg?

Brooklyn's creative epicentre — rooftop bars, vintage shops, Smorgasburg food market, and waterfront views of Manhattan.

🏠 $875/wk rent
☕ $6.0 coffee
🚊 $132/mo transit
$

Your Lifestyle

Daily Coffees
1/day
🍽️Dining Out
2x/wk
🚗Uber / Lyft
2x/wk
🛍️Shopping / Thrifting
$120/mo
🎉Weekend Activities
Moderate
📺Streaming Services
3 subs

Your Survival Score

💀0

Uh Oh... Time to Rethink

Monthly Breakdown

🏠Rent$3,789
🛒Groceries$473
🚊Transport$132
Coffee$180
🍽️Dining Out$502
🚗Rideshare$191
🛍️Shopping$120
🎉Weekend Fun$363
📺Streaming$48
Take-home pay$3,848
Total expenses-$5,798
Savings-$1,950

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Living in Williamsburg, New York

Brooklyn's creative epicentre — rooftop bars, vintage shops, Smorgasburg food market, and waterfront views of Manhattan. If you're weighing a move to Williamsburg, the numbers matter more than the vibes. The median monthly rent here is $3,789, which annualises to roughly $45,500 per year. Using the 30% rent-to-income guideline, you'd want an annual gross salary around $152,000 to live in Williamsburg without housing eating your paycheck.

Day-to-day costs in Williamsburg are expensive for entertainment and above-average the national average for groceries. A monthly public transport pass runs about $132, and a flat white at a local café costs roughly $6.00 — which adds up to $2,190 per year if you're on a one-a-day habit.

What does Williamsburg cost per month?

Rough monthly budget for a single renter on a median-income job, before lifestyle upgrades:

  • Rent (Williamsburg median)$3,789
  • Groceries (est.)$540
  • Transport pass$132
  • Coffee (1/day)$180
  • Entertainment (est.)$290

Numbers are indicative only and exclude tax. Use the interactive calculator above to plug in your own salary and lifestyle.

FAQ — Williamsburg

How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Williamsburg?

Using the standard 30% rent-to-income rule, a comfortable gross income for Williamsburg is around $152,000 per year. At this salary, median rent of $3,789/mo takes up less than a third of your take-home pay, leaving room for savings, transport, and everything else New York throws at you.

Is Williamsburg more expensive than the rest of New York?

Groceries in Williamsburg track above-average the national average (index 1.35), and the entertainment scene is expensive (index 1.45). Median monthly rent of $3,789 places it within the New York market — use the calculator to compare specific neighbourhoods head-to-head.

What's the average annual rent cost in Williamsburg?

At a median monthly rent of $3,789, annual rent in Williamsburg works out to approximately $45,500 per year for a typical unit. Actual costs vary significantly by property size, condition, and proximity to transport.