The Wealth Atlas2027 edition
The cost of living well in New York.
£255ka year
Index 79London = 100 · the family home and two children at school; staff, dining, golf and a berth are priced line by line below
The year, line by line
A year in New York, line by line.
Our verdict. New York holds more millionaires than any other city in the Atlas, 384,500, up 45% in ten years. It suits a family for whom the schools and the work are the point: Dalton charges $70,800 a year, and a luxury Manhattan rental has a median of $16,591 a month. The weak point is tax, with a combined top rate of 51.776%, the highest here, and US citizens taxed on worldwide income wherever they live. No Manhattan or Brooklyn marina publishes an annual rate for a 20 m yacht. Compared with Miami, a luxury home costs about a third more per square foot, and Florida levies no state income tax.
- A prime family home, rented2026£149k
US$199,092 a year · Manhattan luxury (top 10%) median rent USD 16,591/month, September 2026, x12
Jonathan Miller (Miller Samuel) rental report, via Brick Underground, September 2026 (article 2026-10-08)
- Senior school fees, two children2026-27£106k
US$70,800 a year a child · The Dalton School tuition 2026-27, single K-12 rate, so it covers grades 9-12
The Dalton School, Affording Dalton, 2026-27 academic year
- Membership at a leading golf club—
Published prices here date from 2020; ask us for a current figure.
- A berth for a 20 m yacht—
No Manhattan or Brooklyn marina publishes an annual rate for a 20 m yacht.
- A full-time housekeeper or nanny2026£39k
US$52,000 a year · Care.com average posted nanny rate, New York NY, USD 25.00 an hour x 40 hours x 52 weeks
Care.com, Nannies in New York, NY, October 2026
- Tasting menu for two, twice a month2026£13k
US$700 a dinner · Le Bernardin Chef's Tasting Menu USD 350 pp x2, food only
Le Bernardin, menus, Menu dated 2026-10-15
Figures are published prices, fees and surveys as dated, converted to pounds at the stated rates. They change, vary by home, school year and membership, and are a guide, not a quote. Nothing here is financial, tax or legal advice.
- Prime homes to buy
- £23k / m²
- Prices in 2025
- +0.8%
- Millionaires in United States
- 23.63m
- Top income tax rate
- 51.776%
US$30,710 per m² · Manhattan luxury (top 10% of sales) average price per sq ft, 2025: USD 2,853, converted x10.764 to per sqm
Douglas Elliman / Miller Samuel, The Elliman Report: Decade Survey of Manhattan Sales 2016-2025, Full year 2025 (published Feb 2026)The middle of 3 measures, 4.6 points apart
Knight Frank +0.8%; Savills +0.5%; S&P Case-Shiller +5.1% (all homes)+1.9% in 2025
UBS Global Wealth Report 2026, end-2025, published June 2026Worldwide taxation of US citizens and residents (citizens taxed wherever they live).
PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, United States - Individual - Taxes on personal income (last reviewed 4 Sep 2026); NY State Dept of Taxation, IT-201 instructions 2025, tax year 2025Compare
New York against the Atlas.
- London£322k+26%
- Monaco£313k+22%
- Dubai£307k+20%
- Hong Kong£208k−18%
- Miami£176k−31%
- Los Angeles£174k−32%
- Milan£171k−33%
- Paris£160k−37%
- Geneva£152k−40%
- Singapore£147k−42%
- Abu Dhabi£145k−43%
- Amsterdam£120k−53%
- Bangkok£112k−56%
- Riyadh£108k−58%
- Munich£104k−59%
- Manchester£95k−63%
- Lisbon£93k−63%
- Doha£89k−65%
- Muscat£80k−69%
- Marbella£78k−69%
- Phuket£70k−72%
- Jeddah£68k−73%
- Kuala Lumpur£59k−77%
- Manama£36k−86%
- Kuwait City£25k−90%
Pounds at ECB reference rates (Gulf currencies at their dollar pegs) rates of 2026-10-20.