The Most Expensive US Cities & Their FIRE Numbers

High-cost cities demand larger portfolios. San Francisco requires $2.75M at the 25× rule, while New York City tops $2.37M. Even for high earners, controlling spending in expensive cities is critical to hitting your FIRE target on a realistic timeline. Here are the 20 most expensive US cities by annual cost of living.

Cities listed

Avg annual cost

$70,960

Avg FIRE target

$1,774,000

Ranked by annual cost of living

Rank	City	State	Annual Cost	FIRE Target (25×)	State Tax
1	Huntington, NY	NY	$77,900	$1,947,500	Unavailable
2	Hoboken, NJ	NJ	$77,800	$1,945,000	Unavailable
3	New York City, NY	NY	$77,500	$1,937,500	Unavailable
4	Palo Alto, CA	CA	$77,500	$1,937,500	Unavailable
5	Irvine, CA	CA	$74,000	$1,850,000	Unavailable
6	Greenwich, CT	CT	$73,900	$1,847,500	Unavailable
7	San Francisco, CA	CA	$72,700	$1,817,500	Unavailable
8	Cambridge, MA	MA	$71,400	$1,785,000	Unavailable
9	San Jose, CA	CA	$69,400	$1,735,000	Unavailable
10	Pasadena, CA	CA	$69,400	$1,735,000	Unavailable
11	San Diego, CA	CA	$69,300	$1,732,500	Unavailable
12	Jersey City, NJ	NJ	$68,700	$1,717,500	Unavailable
13	Boston, MA	MA	$68,400	$1,710,000	Unavailable
14	White Plains, NY	NY	$68,200	$1,705,000	Unavailable
15	Monterey, CA	CA	$68,000	$1,700,000	Unavailable
16	Brooklyn, NY	NY	$67,400	$1,685,000	Unavailable
17	Boca Raton, FL	FL	$67,300	$1,682,500	Unavailable
18	Santa Barbara, CA	CA	$67,200	$1,680,000	Unavailable
19	Bethesda, MD	MD	$66,700	$1,667,500	Unavailable
20	Bellevue, WA	WA	$66,500	$1,662,500	Unavailable

Compare another US FIRE path

Living costs and the lifestyle you want can change the portfolio you need. Use the comparison that matches your next decision.

FIRE number by state →Best states for FIRE →Cheapest cities for FIRE →

Plan for high-cost living with exact numbers

Use the FIRE calculator to model different spending scenarios, or log in to track your actual progress.

Calculate your FIRE date Go to dashboard