The soaring cost of a dinner-and-movie date in the U.S. reflects a strong dollar and the dominance of American capital markets, though U.S. cities still offer cheaper outings compared to some global peers. While Americans enjoy lower prices for clothing and taxi rides than many developed nations, New Yorkers face a unique challenge: sky-high rents that erode disposable income, making their city the priciest for dating in the U.S.
According to the Deutsche Bank Research Institute’s “Cheap Date” Index, a night out in New York is costlier than in most U.S. cities but cheaper than in five European hubs—Geneva, Zurich, Copenhagen, Oslo, and London. Since the index began in 2012, dating costs across the U.S. have risen due to inflation, a robust dollar, and U.S. financial market strength. Among 69 cities ranked from most to least expensive, San Francisco (No. 13) trails Tel Aviv (No. 7), Amsterdam (No. 10), and Dublin (No. 12), while Chicago (No. 26) and Los Angeles (No. 27) are more affordable than Milan (No. 16), Paris (No. 18), or Buenos Aires (No. 22).
Two factors favor U.S. cities: taxi rides are cheaper, likely due to ride-hailing apps like Uber facing fewer regulations than in Europe, and casual clothing, like Levi’s jeans and summer dresses, costs less. However, New York’s exorbitant rents—by far the highest globally—severely strain residents’ budgets. Other U.S. cities like San Francisco, Boston, and Chicago also rank in the top 11 for rental costs, but their three-bedroom apartments are nearly half the price of New York’s. For home purchases, New York ranks seventh, just behind London, but no other U.S. city cracks the top 15.
High rents drag New York’s disposable income ranking to No. 41, far behind San Francisco (No. 3), Boston (No. 7), and Chicago (No. 8), and even trailing Vancouver (No. 33), Warsaw (No. 39), and Prague (No. 40). High-income cities like Paris (No. 27), Tokyo (No. 37), and London (No. 38) face similar issues. Income inequality in New York further skews these averages, masking disparities.
The report’s quality-of-life index, which factors in living costs, commute times, pollution, crime, and healthcare, ranks New York and London tied at No. 50 out of 69, with emerging market cities faring worse. Since 2012, U.S. cities have shifted from post-Global Financial Crisis bargains to some of the world’s priciest, driven by a strong dollar, Wall Street’s influence, and a U.S.-led tech sector, according to Deutsche Bank’s Jim Reid and Galina Pozdnyakova. However, with the dollar dropping over 10% against other currencies in 2025, U.S. cities may become more affordable in future rankings—though New York’s housing costs are likely to remain a persistent burden.