Well, this was always going to be one of the higher figures, wasn't it? New York City drags the average cost of living in New York State up quite a lot, but even being close to the Big Apple doesn't come cheaply. Housing prices come close to $18,000. That's why the cast of "Friends" were all sharing apartments with each other - unless you have a lot of money behind you, living in New York alone is financially impossible.
If we got into a discussion about what New York was famous for, we'd be here all day. The Statue of Liberty is here, and so is Broadway. Times Square and its electronic billboards are considered to be iconic all over the world. It's loud, it's gritty, it's cold in winter, but it's also one of the greatest places in the world.