奇速英语

房租暴击！《老友记》主角在2026年根本住不起？

Have you ever watched the TV show Friends? Even though it ended years ago, many people still enjoy watching it today. One question that often comes up is: How could the characters afford their lives in New York City? Let’s take a look at what they might need to earn if they lived in today’s world.

In the show, each character had a different job. Monica worked as a chef and later became a head chef. Ross was a scientist who studied ancient life and also taught at a university. Rachel started with no job but later worked in the fashion industry. Chandler worked in a data-related office job. Joey was an actor, and Phoebe worked as a massage therapist and sometimes performed music in public. Their incomes in the early 2000s were much lower than what similar jobs might pay in 2026.

Living in New York City is expensive, especially when it comes to rent. Monica’s large apartment, which she got from her grandmother, would cost a lot more today. In 2026, renting an apartment like hers could require earning between $250,000 and $317,000 a year. Chandler and Joey’s apartment across the hall would also need a high income — around $183,000 to $250,000 each year. Apartments for Ross and Phoebe would similarly cost thousands of dollars every month.

To afford such rents, many landlords ask that a person’s yearly income be at least 40 times the monthly rent. This means the characters would need very high salaries. However, their expected earnings in 2026 are lower than what is required. For example, Rachel might earn about $190,000, but she would need over $250,000 to pay for her lifestyle. The same gap appears for the others.

That is why in the show, the friends often shared apartments. By splitting the rent, they could manage the high costs of living in the city. In the end, the story of Friends reminds us that living in a big city like New York is much more expensive today than it was in the 1990s, and having friends to share life with makes it more achievable.