'Tis the season of TV binge watching. If you’ve ever been curious how much sitcom characters would have to pay in real life for their homes, QR Code Generator has created a list of popular TV show apartments and calculated their likely rents in 2024 using Zumper data.
The most expensive on the list goes to Richard Castle’s SoHo, New York, two-bedroom apartment in “Castle” at $11,271 per month. Ted and Marshall’s Upper West Side, New York, two-bedroom apartment in “How I Met Your Mother” would cost an average of $7,658 per month in 2024.
While Monica’s apartment in “Friends” is considered the most affordable due to the rent-controlled lease her grandmother left in the show, the then $200 rent in 1994 would be the equivalent to around $426 today. However, a two-bedroom apartment in West Village, Manhattan, like Monica’s would cost $7,069 a month today.
“When writing a TV show, showing a realistic depiction of what life would be for the characters based on their salaries might not be a priority. However, when watching any sitcom or similar, viewers will probably notice whether their favorite character could be able to afford their apartments,” says QR Code Generator CEO Marc Porcar. “Interestingly, ‘Friends’ is one of the few shows that explains how Monica and Rachel afforded their luxurious space. This contrasts sharply with Carrie Bradshaw’s living arrangements, which are among the most unrealistic of all.”
In “New Girl,” the four roommates Nick, Jess, Schmidt, and Winston’s three-bedroom loft in the Arts District of Los Angeles would cost an average of $5,177 per month this year. In Queen Anne Hill, Seattle, Meredith’s three-bedroom house in “Grey’s Anatomy” would cost an average of $4,530 per month, according to QR Code Generator’s research.
As mentioned by Porcar, Carrie Bradshaw’s 64 Perry Street one-bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side of New York would cost an average of $4,392 a month in 2024. The least expensive rent on the list is Sheldon and Leonard’s Pasadena, California, two-bedroom apartment on the fourth floor which would rent for an average of $3,121 per month today.
