Money

A luxury apartment in NYC costs $4,416 a month—here’s what one rents for in 11 other US cities

Share
Alexander Spatari | Getty Images

It's hard to deny the appeal of high-end apartment buildings packed with amenities from on-site pools and yoga studios to rooftop decks and friendly doormen.

Living in luxury can be costly but, depending on what city you call home, it could be more affordable than you might think.

Apartment finding website RENTCafe used data from Yardi Matrix, a business development and asset management tool, to compare how much more high-end apartments cost than their less fancy counterparts in 30 major cities across the U.S.

The numbers varied wildly.

In expensive coastal cities, such as New York and San Francisco, living in a high-end building costs $1,000 more a month compared to lower-end places. But in locations such as Phoenix or Charlotte, it only takes around $350 to upgrade.

Here's a closer look at the rent prices for luxury apartments in 12 major U.S. cities, ranked from least to most expensive.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Average monthly rent for a luxury apartment: $1,024
Price range for luxury apartments: $872 (studio) to $1,295 (3BR)
Price difference compared to a low-end building: $368

Phoenix, Arizona

Average monthly rent for a luxury apartment: $1,154
Price range for luxury apartments: $999 (studio) to $1,378 (3BR)
Price difference compared to a low-end building: $351

Charlotte, North Carolina

Average monthly rent for a luxury apartment: $1,247
Price range for luxury apartments: $1,157 (studio) to $1,455 (3BR)
Price difference compared to a low-end building: $347

Giorgio Fochesato | E+ | Getty Images

Dallas, Texas

Average monthly rent for a luxury apartment: $1,428
Price range for luxury apartments: $1,165 (studio) to $2,049 (3BR)
Price difference compared to a low-end building: $524

Nashville, Tennessee

Average monthly rent for a luxury apartment: $1,513
Price range for luxury apartments: $1,410 (studio) to $1,745 (3BR)
Price difference compared to a low-end building: $502

Detroit, Michigan

Average monthly rent for a luxury apartment: $1,652
Price range for luxury apartments: $1,061 (studio) to $1,878 (3BR)
Price difference compared to a low-end building: $769

Portland, Oregon
jose1983 | iStock | Getty Images

Portland, Oregon

Average monthly rent for a luxury apartment: $1,691
Price range for luxury apartments: $1,378 (studio) to $1,950 (3BR)
Price difference compared to a low-end building: $484

Denver, Colorado

Average monthly rent for a luxury apartment: $1,756
Price range for luxury apartments: $1,399 (studio) to $2,439 (3BR)
Price difference compared to a low-end building: $499

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Average monthly rent for a luxury apartment: $2,197
Price range for luxury apartments: $1,623 (studio) to $3,677 (3BR)
Price difference compared to a low-end building: $925

Skyline of Chicago
Getty Images

Chicago, Illinois

Average monthly rent for a luxury apartment: $2,465
Price range for luxury apartments: $1,747 (studio) to $4,905 (3BR)
Price difference compared to a low-end building: $1,078

San Francisco, California

Average monthly rent for a luxury apartment: $4,132
Price range for luxury apartments: $3,157 (studio) to $6,812 (3BR)
Price difference compared to a low-end building: $1,125

Manhattan, New York

Average monthly rent for a luxury apartment: $4,416
Price range for luxury apartments: $3,179 (studio) to $8,163 (3BR)
Price difference compared to a low-end building: $1,035

Don't miss:

Like this story? Like CNBC Make It on Facebook!

Harvard study: Almost 40 million Americans can't afford to pay for housing
VIDEO1:0101:01
Harvard study: Almost 40 million Americans can't afford to pay for housing