This is The Rent Edit, a package from CULTURED that explores the financial reality of being an artist in 2026. Elsewhere, artists reveal what they bought with their first big paycheck and the luxuries they have given up—and refused to let go of—in order to build and sustain a creative life in New York.
Being an artist is more like being a small business owner than having a traditional 9-to-5 office job. In New York, it often means writing two rent checks each month, one for home and one for the studio. (Frequently, the studio rent is higher because many artists split their apartment rent with roommates or partners; rent figures below reflect each artist’s individual share, not necessarily the total rent for an apartment in their neighborhood.) It also usually requires investing in materials, studio assistance, storage, and shipping—not to mention attending to physical injuries or repeated strain that comes from doing a job that takes a toll on the body.
Amid widespread conversations about the city’s affordability crisis, CULTURED invited five artists to (anonymously) open up their books, sharing their average monthly expenses and their annual income. The results we gathered are simply a snapshot, but they paint a picture of the hefty costs—expected and unexpected—that come with being an artist, as well as the unpredictability of the income that results.
The mid-career artist with a day job, Midtown East
The combination of the closure of this artist’s New York gallery and a general slump across the art market has made their income from art almost non-existent. Fortunately, they have a well-paying day job that keeps them afloat.
Monthly expenses
Rent for apartment in Midtown East: $2,500
Rent for studio in Chinatown: $1,500
Materials: $500
Food: $500
Utilities: $500
Health insurance: Provided by day job
Other expenses: Therapy, physical therapy (“work-related stress injuries from the physical nature of producing artworks”)
Grand total: More than $5,500 per month ($66,000 per year)
Pre-tax 2025 income: $150,000, almost entirely from day job
The emerging artist supporting their practice with sex work, North Brooklyn
Having arrived in New York seven years ago, this Brooklyn-based artist has had to make adjustments. They’ve cut the amount of money they spend on food per month by more than half (from over $2,000 to $600) in order to, in part, support an art practice that requires investing in pricey materials. Still, most of their income comes from sex work rather than art sales. “I am represented by two galleries,” the artist says. “They have no bearing on how I make a living.”
Monthly expenses
Rent for apartment in North Brooklyn: $600
Rent for studio in South Brooklyn: $1,700
Materials: Zero to $8,000, depending on the month
Food: $600
Utilities: Between $300 to $1,200, depending on the season
Other expenses: Books, Adobe, other subscriptions; studio ventilation and renovations
Grand total: Around $7,500 per month ($90,000 per year)
Pre-tax 2025 income: $80,000, from some art sales, a few lectures, mostly sex work
The mid-career artist with a teaching gig, Lower Manhattan
This native New Yorker is “constantly worried about money”—especially since fall 2023, when art sales began to slump. Their teaching job offers steady income, but they still make trade-offs. They haven’t filled one of their prescriptions since it increased in price from $385 to $485 in January. They continue to send money home to their aging parents, pay to access a sauna and cold plunge to support muscle recovery for a physically demanding artistic practice, and maintain season basketball tickets that they regularly distribute as gifts to studio staff.
Monthly expenses
Rent for apartment in Lower Manhattan: $2,850
Rent for studio Uptown: $1,300
Storage unit: $200
Materials: $800
Health insurance: $389
Food: $2,000
Utilities: $200
Student loan payments: $500
Gym membership, sauna, cold plunge: $345
Basketball season tickets: $400
Parental support: $200–$2,000
Grand total: Around $10,000 per month ($120,000 per year)
Pre-tax 2025 income: $175,000 ($125,000 from teaching, $50,000 from art sales)
The emerging artist living on a shoestring, Flatbush
Over 11 years living in New York, this artist has managed to make it work by spending as little money as possible. One of very few indulgences: paying a photographer to document their work.
Monthly expenses
Rent for apartment in Flatbush: $1,200
Rent for studio in Dumbo: $1,100
Materials: $400
Utilities: $100
Other expenses: Website costs, tax services, transporting artwork, photography
Grand total: More than $2,800 per month ($33,600 per year)
Pre-tax 2025 income: $50,000
The mid-career artist making money more than ever, Greenpoint
Artistic income can be lumpy, and that means some years are better than others—much better. This Brooklyn-based artist has been living in New York for 15 years, but this “is the most money I’ve made from art ever,” they say. “This year has been outstanding.”
Monthly expenses
Rent for apartment in Greenpoint: $1,300
Rent for studio in Dumbo: $2,800
Materials: $2,000
Healthcare: $300
Food: $800
Utilities: $100
Assistant’s salary: $3,500
Grand total: $10,800 per month ($129,600 per year)
Pre-tax 2025 income: $160,000, from art sales and residency fees
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