New Yorkers don’t just run on coffee–we run on cortisol. From trekking miles through the subway to get to our transfer like it’s an Olympic sport to feeling like we need to sell a limb on the Black Market for a dinner reservation, stress is basically what keeps us going. And now, it’s official: NYC has just been crowned the most stressful city in the world to live in.
Financial experts at American money transfer service Remitly analyzed more than 170 major cities around the globe to rank the most stressful places to live in 2025. They looked at five measurable factors that could be potential stressors:
- Average time to travel 10km (~6.2 miles) – how long daily journeys take and the potential strain of congestion
- Cost of living index – the relative prices of goods like groceries, transportation, and utilities, not including housing costs
- Healthcare index – how accessible and high-quality each city’s healthcare system is
- Crime index – perceived safety and security in daily life
- Average annual pollution (µg/m³) – indicating air quality in the area
Each factor was scored and combined to create a “stress score” out of 10, but those of us who’ve perfected deep breathing, doom-scrolling, and emergency meditation just to make it through a morning commute didn’t need a study to know that New York City would take the top spot.
According to the data, New York City is the world’s most stressed city, with a stress score of 7.56 out of 10, driven by a combination of congestion, high crime rates, and high pollution levels.
Our major concern: rising living costs–Manhattan median rents shattered records this past spring–and with a cost of living index of 100, one of the highest in the world, everyday essentials remain major sources of financial strain. The ranking writes:
New York, United States, might be the city that never sleeps, but its relentless pace comes at a price…While excellent healthcare and cleaner air help offset some strain, financial pressure remains part of daily life in one of the world’s most dynamic cities.
And unfortunately with the chaotic holiday rush already in full swing, our stress levels are only climbing higher. Remember that time Air Canada gave out free flights so stressed Americans? Yeah, well we could sure use that again…
If you feel this on a visceral level, don’t worry–you’re in good company. But in the spirit of the season, we’re putting our stress aside for a moment to share a few of our favorite NYC-approved ways to unwind:
- This hidden cottage in Chelsea offering sound baths that literally make you forget you have a body
- This wellness speakeasy, where you can partake in a couple rounds of temperature contrast before grabbing a drink at their adaptogenic tonic bar
- This new two-story NoHo bathhouse intentionally designed to guide the body through a sensory journey of hot and cold therapy
- WTHN, our favorite place in the city to get acupuncture (& they even offer “No Tox Botox” now!)
You can see the full ranking on Remitly’s website.