TV And Movie Characters Who Realistically Can't Afford Their Homes
- Photo: CBS
The Apartment:
Max and Caroline's Williamsburg apartment is meant to look cheap, but it's clearly not. It's huge by New York City standards, even though Caroline sleeps in the living room. The place is always in a state of disarray, but even the clutter is strangely unrealistic. And there's a yard, which is incredibly rare and fiscally impossible.
The Income:
The girls are supposed to be broke; they waitress at a local diner. However, a one-bedroom Williamsburg apartment is around $3,500 a month. Waitresses living on tips would struggle to afford that sort of rate.
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- 2651 VOTESPhoto: NBC
The Apartment:
Monica's massive apartment on Friends is gorgeous. There are high ceilings, exposed brick, floor-to-ceiling windows, a balcony, a large kitchen and dining area, and two sizable bedrooms. The apartment is especially impressive when compared to Joey and Chandler's place across the hall. It's much more modest but still too expensive for an often-unemployed actor and a mid-level finance guy.
The Income:
Apartments like Monica's are virtually impossible to find in the real New York City, NY. A super-conservative estimate prices a two-bedroom in her neighborhood at about $5,000. A more realistic price for an apartment that size is around $14,000 per month. Monica holds various chef positions, but a sous chef's salary in the Big Apple is only about $56,000 a year.
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Mia Dolan From 'La La Land'
Photo: Summit EntertainmentThe Apartment:
La La Land is meant to be at least somewhat unrealistic; the characters are dreamers and everyone spontaneously bursts into song. But the poshness of Mia's apartment exceeds the bounds of believability. The place appears to be a refurbished Old Hollywood flat with multiple bedrooms. The unit is impeccably decorated in bold colors, expensive furnishings, and wall murals.
The Income:
For most of the movie, Mia is a barista and struggling actress. Roughly estimating, she takes home about $16,000 a year. The rent for a stylish four-bedroom unit in Los Angeles, CA, would be around $6,000, though. Split four ways, that's $1,500 each. And Mia only makes $1,333 a month.
- 4527 VOTESPhoto: HBO
The Apartment:
Carrie lives in a one-bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side. Chic and comfortable, the space also has ample closet space. Exterior shots show the building is a classic New York City brownstone.
The Income:
A columnist for The New York Star, Carrie presumably earns a median writer's salary of about $38,000 a year, while an Upper West Side one-bedroom costs about $3,000 a month. To be fair, Carrie mentions her unit is rent-controlled; she only pays $750 a month in rent. But figure in the cost of everything else – utilities, cable, cab rides, endless cosmos, and that famous designer wardrobe – and there's no way the main character can afford her life.
- 5312 VOTESPhoto: 20th Century Fox
The Apartment:
The young character in Big really lucks up and lands a fantastic apartment. A huge Soho corner unit, the place comes with hardwood floors, high ceilings, and wall-to-wall windows.
The Income:
Josh lands a job as a toy-tester for a major toy store in New York City, NY. It's the perfect gig for a kid trapped in a grown man's body. Yet even in the '80s, a fun job like that wouldn't cover the rent and the cost of living in the metropolitan area. By today's yardstick, that apartment would cost about $9,000 a month to rent. Even if a present-day Josh made $100,000 a year, he still wouldn't have enough money.
- 6198 VOTESPhoto: HBO
The Apartment:
Hannah lives in a two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn's trendy Greenpoint neighborhood. While the place isn't incredibly lavish, it's a palace by New York City standards. The living room is generous enough to fit sofas, chairs, and a television. The kitchen is well-equipped, and the bedrooms are of moderate size.
The Income:
A roommate (first Marnie, then Elijah) usually occupies the other bedroom in Hannah's apartment, but even with someone sharing the rent, the monthly expenses should put Hannah in the poorhouse – especially considering her erratic work history and the low-paying nature of many of her jobs. Seriously, she's a barista, public school teacher, and freelance writer. An average price for a similar apartment would be about $3,000 a month, meaning Hannah would have to make $60,000 a year to afford her half.
- 7216 VOTESPhoto: Columbia Pictures
The Apartment:
A penthouse unit on Central Park West, Dana's apartment is colossal, especially because she doesn't have roommates. There's a living room with views of the city, a large bedroom, and an absolutely massive kitchen.
The Income:
Dana is a symphony musician, so it's hard to imagine how she affords her spot, even in the 1980s. A one-bedroom in the same building sold for nearly $1.3 million in 2014. Symphony musician salaries can vary, ranging from a few thousand dollars a year to upwards of $150K. Still, though, if Dana wanted that apartment today, she'd have to be incredibly creative to make rent.
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Kimmy Schmidt And Titus Andromedon From 'The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'
Photo: NetflixThe Apartment:
Kimmy and Titus share a one-bedroom basement apartment in Brooklyn, NY. Titus has the bedroom, and the title character sleeps in a closet. In the unit, there's a small kitchen, living area, and bathroom. Landlady Lillian calls the unit a "garden-level maisonette."
The Income:
The space is small and a bit dank, but still, it would demand a small fortune in New York City. A one-bedroom in that neighborhood usually calls for around $3,200 a month. Neither of those characters are consistently employed, and when they are, they don't rake in the dough. At one point, Kimmy works as an Uber driver; a median salary for a NYC Uber driver is around $3,700 a month. Assuming she's covering the rent (because Titus's full-time job is being Titus), that doesn't leave much left over.
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The House:
Danny Tanner houses his entire immediate family, some of his extended family, and a friend in an enormous home in San Francisco, CA. The space has three bedrooms upstairs, a huge finished basement and attic, and a small living room alcove that also serves as Joey's bedroom. Oh, and the kitchen is massive, and there is a yard big enough for Comet, the Tanners' pooch, to run and play.
The Income:
Even with all the adults living in the house and, presumably, contributing to the mortgage, it would still be expensive. A similar home in the same Western Addition neighborhood sold a few years ago for nearly $2.9 million, creating a $14,000 mortgage. Danny hosts a morning talk show, Jesse is a musician, and Joey is a stand-up comic. Plus, they're raising three kids who come with expenses of their own.
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The Apartment:
This New York City, NY, apartment is far beyond Ted's means. His unit is a two-bedroom with generous windows and a fireplace. Located on the Upper West Side, the flat also has exposed brick walls, a piano, and a separate workspace area.
The Income:
Ted is an architect, so it stands to reason he isn't bringing home chump change. Still, an apartment that size might be a financial burden. A similarly-sized Upper West Side apartment may cost about $3,500. With Ted's paycheck, which is probably around $4,900 a month, he would have to scrimp and save to afford the bare necessities.
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Mindy Lahiri From 'The Mindy Project'
Photo: NBC UniversalThe Apartment:
Mindy's one-bedroom apartment is a New York City gem with ample space and a lush boudoir. Mindy's place is decorated in a trendy and modern style, but is also feels lived-in and homey.
The Income:
The title character is a doctor, so her income (which would be around $200K a year) is substantial. But it'd be a struggle to stretch a doctor's paycheck to cover Mindy's shopping habits and abode. Her apartment would cost around $2.5 million to purchase.
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The Apartment:
Tom always seems to have tastes far beyond his means. His Pawnee, IN, apartment is no exception. More than likely a one-bedroom unit, it's almost too hip with luxury decor and furnishings.
The Income:
Employed in a mid-level position for small-town government, Tom should not be able to afford his apartment or lifestyle. He probably makes between $20,000 and $30,000 a year. In Indianapolis, IN, a one-bedroom costs around $800 a month. While that major city is surely larger and more cosmopolitan than fictional Pawnee, it's easy to assume Tom would pay around that much for his very chic apartment.
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