How Much Emily’s Life In Paris Actually Costs

From the average Millennial girly girl to Peyton Manning, it seems that everyone loves Emily in Paris. The show is pure escapist entertainment, but fans can’t help but notice that Emily’s lifestyle makes Carrie Bradshaw's look realistic. How much does Emily make if she can afford a gorgeous apartment and a wardrobe full of designer clothes? Spoiler alert: not enough.

How Much Emily Makes vs. How Much Emily Spends

Salary

According to the financial experts at New Casinos and reporting from Buzzfeed, Emily’s salary as a marketing executive is estimated to be around $46,980 a year. She likely makes more money through being an Instagram influencer, and the average influencer makes $2,970 a month, which is $35,640 a year. This makes a combined income of $82,620. 

If you guessed that this doesn’t add up with her lifestyle, you’ve guessed correctly. Here are the estimates of how much she spends.

Rent and Utilities

The rent for an average apartment in Emily’s neighborhood in Paris is around $2,822 per month, adding up to $33,864 a year. Her utilities are estimated to cost around $2,372 a year. Though there’s a chance that her company is paying some of her rent for an American to work in Paris (and she later rooms with Mindy, who is likely paying half), it’s still a decent amount of her salary.

Food

Paris has some of the best food in the world, so can we really blame Emily for eating out almost every meal? We guess not…but then we saw the bill. If she were to eat “a three-course meal at a mid-range restaurant twice a week,” it’s estimated that it would cost her $3,239 a year. Though it appears that she usually eats at fancier restaurants, and it’s entirely possible that she gets discounts from eating at Gabriel’s restaurant, we’re sticking to this estimate.

Night Life

Aside from eating out at restaurants, Emily goes out a lot. It’s estimated that she spends $1,295 a year on cocktails, but we wouldn’t be surprised if that number were higher because we’ve all learned the hard way how quickly cocktails can add up.

Clothes

In the least surprising plot twist of the century, it appears that Emily spends the most money on clothes. She never wears the same outfit twice and seems to only wear luxury and designer brands, making her annual clothing budget (or lack thereof) around $76,795 a year. Is it possible that she gets discounts by repping the brands through her work and on social media? Sure, but there’s no doubt that she spends the most on clothes.

This leads up to Emily spending a total of $117,565 a year. With her best-case scenario salary of $82,620, there’s no doubt that Emily lives above her means. Even if she gets discounts on her rent, food, and clothes, there’s no doubt that she’s not saving anything or is at least in major credit card debt.

How Much Do Emily’s Outfits Cost?

Though we have a rough estimate of how much Emily spends on clothes as a category, we thought it would be fun to look into some of the designers she wears. She loves Chanel bags, which usually cost somewhere between $3,000 to $9,000 a piece. Since she owns quite a few, this expense adds up fast.

TV Insider compiled a list of some of Emily’s fashion purchases, ranging from a $228 vest to a $54,759 Vassilis Zoulias jacket. Some notable editions to the list include a $1,775 Christian Louboutin tote bag, a $1,724 Hermes bomber jacket, and a $1,775 Dolce & Gabbana dress. Taking this into consideration, the above estimate of her spending is likely accurate, if not a little low.

Aspirational, Financially Irresponsible, or Both?

The truth is that Emily in Paris isn’t meant to be taken seriously. It’s not as good as popular dramas like The Crown, Succession, and Yellowstone, but it’s good for what it is: an escapist dramedy. Some make fun of it for being cringey or corny, but it’s supposed to be escapist entertainment. Like Carrie’s life in Sex and the City, there’s nothing realistic about Emily’s life, and that’s okay. As long as viewers are aware the show isn’t meant to be realistic, they can enjoy it in all of its glory.

Closing Thoughts

Emily in Paris is known for fashion, luxury, and escapist entertainment. It’s no surprise that Emily lives well above her means, but we’ll still be dreaming of living like Emily one day.

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