City life is expensive. If you're considering settling down in San Francisco, for example, you'll have to earn six figures to live comfortably.
That's according to a 2017 GOBankingRates report, which determined just how much you need to earn each year to get by with a minimum of stress in the biggest U.S. cities.
The site looked at the cost of living for a single person in each city, factoring in the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment, groceries, utilities, transportation and health care. From there, it applied the "50-30-20 rule" of personal finance — meaning 50% of income goes to necessities, 30% towards discretionary spending and 20% towards saving — to calculate the recommended annual income.
Note that these numbers are suggestions based on the available data for one-person households and assume a substantial amount of saving.
Here's the suggested take-home income for the 25 biggest U.S. cities, plus the estimated annual cost of necessities, discretionary spending and optimum savings.
El Paso, Texas
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $20,197
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $12,118
Suggested annual savings: $8,079
Suggested annual take-home income: $40,393
Detroit, Michigan
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $21,081
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $12,648
Suggested annual savings: $8,432
Suggested annual take-home income: $42,161
Columbus, Ohio
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $22,426
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $13,456
Suggested annual savings: $8,970
Suggested annual take-home income: $44,852
San Antonio, Texas
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $23,077
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $13,846
Suggested annual savings: $9,231
Suggested annual take-home income: $46,154
Indianapolis, Indiana
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $23,564
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $14,138
Suggested annual savings: $9,425
Suggested annual take-home income: $47,127
Memphis, Tennessee
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $24,234
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $14,540
Suggested annual savings: $9,693
Suggested annual take-home income: $48,467
Jacksonville, Florida
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $25,969
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $15,581
Suggested annual savings: $10,388
Suggested annual take-home income: $51,938
Fort Worth, Texas
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $26,513
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $15,908
Suggested annual savings: $10,605
Suggested annual take-home income: $53,026
Phoenix, Arizona
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $26,606
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $15,964
Suggested annual savings: $10,642
Suggested annual take-home income: $53,212
Austin, Texas
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $27,316
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $16,389
Suggested annual savings: $10,926
Suggested annual take-home income: $54,631
Houston, Texas
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $28,111
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $16,867
Suggested annual savings: $11,245
Suggested annual take-home income: $56,223
Dallas, Texas
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $28,992
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $17,395
Suggested annual savings: $11,597
Suggested annual take-home income: $57,984
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $30,987
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $18,592
Suggested annual savings: $12,395
Suggested annual take-home income: $61,974
Denver, Colorado
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $31,281
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $18,768
Suggested annual savings: $12,512
Suggested annual take-home income: $62,561
Charlotte, North Carolina
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $32,005
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $19,203
Suggested annual savings: $12,802
Suggested annual take-home income: $64,009
Chicago, Illinois
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $33,081
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $19,849
Suggested annual savings: $13,232
Suggested annual take-home income: $66,162
San Diego, California
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $34,979
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $20,987
Suggested annual savings: $13,992
Suggested annual take-home income: $69,958
Nashville, Tennessee
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $35,075
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $21,045
Suggested annual savings: $14,030
Suggested annual take-home income: $70,150
Seattle, Washington
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $37,641
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $22,585
Suggested annual savings: $15,057
Suggested annual take-home income: $75,283
Los Angeles, California
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $38,024
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $22,814
Suggested annual savings: $15,209
Suggested annual take-home income: $76,047
Boston, Massachusetts
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $39,639
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $23,783
Suggested annual savings: $15,855
Suggested annual take-home income: $79,277
Washington, D.C.
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $40,136
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $24,082
Suggested annual savings: $16,055
Suggested annual take-home income: $80,273
New York, New York
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $43,223
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $25,934
Suggested annual savings: $17,289
Suggested annual take-home income: $86,446
San Jose, California
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $43,576
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $26,146
Suggested annual savings: $17,431
Suggested annual take-home income: $87,153
San Francisco, California
Estimated cost of annual necessities: $55,179
Suggested annual discretionary spending: $33,107
Suggested annual savings: $22,071
Suggested annual take-home income: $110,357
