You land in New York with a little cash and a job offer. Rent's due on the first. GrindLife is a free life sim on the real streets of Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx, with real NYC pay, real tax and real rent.
Pick a career, a nurse, a barista, a courier, a developer, a banker, and work your way up. Or walk away and build something of your own. Other players are in the city with you.
The minimum wage in New York City is $17 an hour in 2026. A junior software developer in the city earns about $116,170 a year. Source: New York State Department of Labor; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025.
About $3,821 a month. Federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, New York State tax and New York City tax take about $1,179 of the $5,000 you earn each month. Source: IRS; New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, 2026 rates.
A room in a shared walk-up runs about $1,162 in Mott Haven and $1,404 in Astoria. A studio is $2,587 in Astoria and up to $3,849 in Kips Bay. A one-bedroom goes from $2,990 in the Bronx to $4,607 in Manhattan. Source: Market research, 2026; NYC Rent Guidelines Board.
A ride is $3.00 on the subway or the bus. Tap the same card or phone and the rides are free once you have paid $35 in seven days. Source: MTA.
Just. Take home $3,821, pay $3,369 for a one-bedroom in Astoria, and you've got $452 left for food, the subway and everything else. That's why most people start in a shared apartment. Source: The figures above.
The map is built from the city's own open data: the streets, the parks and the subway lines are where they are in real life.
Yes. Play in your browser on a phone or a computer. No download.
Other cities: Nairobi.
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