Inflation Drives Up Income Needed to Live Comfortably in Major US Cities

To "live comfortably," a single adult needs to earn about $75k in Houston or $139k in NYC, while a family of 4 needs $175k in Houston or $339k in San Francisco.

7 of the 10 most expensive cities for singles and 5 of the 10 for families are in California.

Salaries needed are much higher than last year - almost $30k more in San Francisco for a single adult.

Overall, a single adult now needs $96.5k (up from $68.5k) and a family of 4 needs $235k to live comfortably.

Inflation has made most households need to spend an extra $10k+ to maintain their standard of living compared to early 2021.