Random TV And Movie Characters Who Can't Afford Their Homes (12 items)

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  (#11) Mindy Lahiri

  • The Mindy Project

  The Apartment:

  Mindy's one-bedroom apartment is a New York City gem with ample space and a lush boudoir. Mindy's place is decorated in a trendy and modern style, but is also feels lived-in and homey.

  The Income:

  The title character is a doctor, so her income (which would be around $200K a year) is substantial. But it'd be a struggle to stretch a doctor's paycheck to cover Mindy's shopping habits and abode. Her apartment would cost around $2.5 million to purchase.
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  (#12) Tom Haverford

  • Parks and Recreation

  The Apartment:

  Tom always seems to have tastes far beyond his means. His Pawnee, IN, apartment is no exception. More than likely a one-bedroom unit, it's almost too hip with luxury decor and furnishings.

  The Income:

  Employed in a mid-level position for small-town government, Tom should not be able to afford his apartment or lifestyle. He probably makes between $20,000 and $30,000 a year. In Indianapolis, IN, a one-bedroom costs around $800 a month. While that major city is surely larger and more cosmopolitan than fictional Pawnee, it's easy to assume Tom would pay around that much for his very chic apartment.
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  (#9) Ted Mosby

  • How I Met Your Mother

  The Apartment:

  This New York City, NY, apartment is far beyond Ted's means. His unit is a two-bedroom with generous windows and a fireplace. Located on the Upper West Side, the flat also has exposed brick walls, a piano, and a separate workspace area.

  The Income:

  Ted is an architect, so it stands to reason he isn't bringing home chump change. Still, an apartment that size might be a financial burden. A similarly-sized Upper West Side apartment may cost about $3,500. With Ted's paycheck, which is probably around $4,900 a month, he would have to scrimp and save to afford the bare necessities.
• 

  (#1) Monica Geller

  • Friends

  The Apartment:

  Monica's massive apartment on Friends is gorgeous. There are high ceilings, exposed brick, floor-to-ceiling windows, a balcony, a large kitchen and dining area, and two sizable bedrooms. The apartment is especially impressive when compared to Joey and Chandler's place across the hall. It's much more modest but still too expensive for an often-unemployed actor and a mid-level finance guy.

  The Income:

  Apartments like Monica's are virtually impossible to find in the real New York City, NY. A super-conservative estimate prices a two-bedroom in her neighborhood at about $5,000. A more realistic price for an apartment that size is around $14,000 per month. Monica holds various chef positions, but a sous chef's salary in the Big Apple is only about $56,000 a year.
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  (#2) Carrie Bradshaw

  • Sex and the City, The Carrie Diaries, Sex and the City 2, Sex and the Matrix, Sex and the City

  The Apartment:

  Carrie lives in a one-bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side. Chic and comfortable, the space also has ample closet space. Exterior shots show the building is a classic New York City brownstone.

  The Income:

  A columnist for The New York Star, Carrie presumably earns a median writer's salary of about $38,000 a year, while an Upper West Side one-bedroom costs about $3,000 a month. To be fair, Carrie mentions her unit is rent-controlled; she only pays $750 a month in rent. But figure in the cost of everything else – utilities, cable, cab rides, endless cosmos, and that famous designer wardrobe – and there's no way the main character can afford her life.
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  (#7) Danny Tanner

  • Full House

  The House:

  Danny Tanner houses his entire immediate family, some of his extended family, and a friend in an enormous home in San Francisco, CA. The space has three bedrooms upstairs, a huge finished basement and attic, and a small living room alcove that also serves as Joey's bedroom. Oh, and the kitchen is massive, and there is a yard big enough for Comet, the Tanners' pooch, to run and play.

  The Income:

  Even with all the adults living in the house and, presumably, contributing to the mortgage, it would still be expensive. A similar home in the same Western Addition neighborhood sold a few years ago for nearly $2.9 million, creating a $14,000 mortgage. Danny hosts a morning talk show, Jesse is a musician, and Joey is a stand-up comic. Plus, they're raising three kids who come with expenses of their own.

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