How Much It Costs To Be Andy Sachs From The Devil Wears Prada
Including $8 worth of Jarlsberg, obviously.
Andy Sachs is back at Runway for The Devil Wears Prada 2, now in theaters. Before heading to the movies, many fans of the 2006 film are going back to rewatch the original for a quick (one hour and 49 minutes, to be exact) refresher.
In her new role as Miranda Priestly’s assistant, Anne Hathaway’s character goes through a lot of changes, as does her budget. Andy’s journey in TDWP involves a lot of Starbucks runs, a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes, and more high-fashion splurges — all expenses that stretch her editorial salary to the brink.
Hathaway is very aware of Andy’s not-so-responsible spending habits. In a recent People interview, she opened up about making the first film and suspending disbelief when it came to Andy’s budget. “People just accepted that Andy Sachs worked at a fashion magazine and was allowed to go into a closet and take so much Chanel,” she said. “Patricia Field [the costume designer] iconically said, ‘It’s not a documentary,’ meaning: Don’t ask how we got all these clothes. Don’t ask about the budget. Don’t think that hard.”
Almost 20 years later, Hathaway says audiences are much “more savvy” and want to know how exactly Andy is able to afford everything while living in New York City as a writer. So, just how much would it actually cost to live like Andy for a day in the Devil Wears Prada universe? Here’s a full breakdown of her daily budget, including her apartment and wardrobe, to get a better sense of how much she’d spend as Miranda’s assistant today.
The Long-Term Expenses: Andy’s Lower East Side Apartment
To start, let’s take a closer look at Andy’s salary as an assistant to Miranda. In 2023, a job posting for a similar role as an assistant to Anna Wintour — aka the editor in chief who inspired Priestly — listed the salary as $60,000 to $80,000 a year. (Back in 2006, the pay was likely much closer to the $30,000 to $40,000 range, considering inflation.) For a modern Andy, making $80,000 a year, she would need to keep to a strict budget of $219 a day. (Her 2006 counterpart would need to stick to $95 a day.)
For long-term expenses, Andy’s main money pit would be her Lower East Side apartment, which she shared with her boyfriend Nate (Adrian Grenier). The filming location from the first DWP is 252 Broome Street, where the latest base rent for a one-bedroom apartment is around $3,500 a month. Andy split that cost with her partner, so it would set her back about $58 a day. (Back in 2006, a non-renovated walk-up apartment in the LES cost between $1,000 to $2,000 per month, giving her a little more wiggle room budget-wise.)
Total: $58
Andy’s Morning Grabbing Miranda’s Coffee
5 a.m.: Andy’s mornings started extra early. After all, it takes time to get primped for Runway — especially since she needed to get to the office before Miranda’s daily 9 a.m. arrival. The beginning of The Devil Wears Prada showed Andy’s bare-bones morning routine: brushing her teeth (a toothbrush and toothpaste cost about $10) after getting out of the shower. The film doesn’t reveal much of her skin care routine, but she did grab some ChapStick ($5) for her lips.
Hathaway is also pretty private about her IRL morning routine, but she recently shared that she uses Shiseido’s Vital Perfection Uplifting and Firming Advanced Cream ($146). She also revealed on Instagram that she carries around Actinica’s SPF lotion ($55) for sun protection. It’s likely Andy would also have a similar moisturizer and SPF — though she might have chosen a cheaper dupe before her taste for luxury fully set in.
When it comes to the beauty products that she sported in TDWP, the first film’s MUA, Nicki Ledermann, shared the deets with Vogue: “Andy’s makeup was always meant to feel like an awakening rather than an overhaul.” She kept it pretty simple compared with Emily (Emily Blunt) but did eventually sport a bold red lip. According to Vogue, Hathaway wore MAC Cosmetics’ Russian Red lipstick ($25) in the first movie.
6:15 a.m.: Andy’s wardrobe changed regularly throughout the film. In the beginning, she wore discount department store finds, like the iconic cerulean blue sweater. But once she got her footing at work, Andy switched to high-end items like the Chanel Camélia double-breasted wool jacket. A similar ’fit — including a Chanel jacket ($13,500), silk top ($2,900), and short skirt ($1,900), as well as black tights ($27), a necklace ($4,300), and Jimmy Choo boots ($2,295) — would cost a pretty penny. As Emily put it, “You sold your soul the first time you put on a pair of Jimmy Choos.”
7 a.m.: On her commute to the office, Andy grabbed an on-the-go breakfast — an onion bagel with cream cheese — before getting on the subway. A bagel shop nearby in the East Village is Kossar’s Bagels & Bialys, where a cream cheese bagel costs about $5, while the subway fare to the Runway office building at 1221 6th Avenue is $3. (Back in 2006, these would have been cheaper — about $2 for breakfast and another $2 for a ride.)
8 a.m.: In midtown, Andy stopped by Starbucks to pick up essentials for Miranda: a no-foam skim latte with an extra shot ($7) and three “searing hot” drip coffees ($9).
8:30 a.m.: Once she was in the office and Miranda’s coffee was waiting at her desk for her arrival, Andy could begin her day.
Total: $25,187
Running Errands Around NYC
9 a.m.–12 p.m.: On Andy’s first full day in the office, she was tasked with getting skirts from Calvin Klein and scarves from Hermès. She took a car for these errands, which set her back around $65. She’s also asked to get more coffee for Miranda ($16).
12–12:15 p.m.: Andy was given only 15 minutes for lunch. On her first day of work, she got a $4 cup of corn chowder from the cafeteria.
12:15–6 p.m.: For the rest of the day, Andy was at her desk, answering calls and making arrangements for Miranda.
Total: $85
A Night Out For Runway Magazine
7:30 p.m.: As Miranda’s assistant, Andy needed to attend events with Runway’s editor in chief to serve as an in-person Rolodex, helping her boss remember every name on the guest list. At the Runway benefit in the first film, Andy borrowed a black John Galliano gown from the fashion closet (similar to this $3,374 vintage maxi dress) and Alexander McQueen heels ($1,350) for the big event.
9 p.m.: She took the subway ($3) home from work and spent time with Nate while venting about her job. As a chef, he made her a deluxe grilled cheese. The main ingredient? $8 worth of Jarlsberg.
9:30 p.m.: After dinner, Andy got ready for bed by doing her simple skin care routine. The film didn’t reveal exactly what products Andy used, but in 2019, Hathaway revealed she prefers coconut oil ($7) to remove her makeup. She then changed into some pj’s ($35) and got straight to bed so she could wake up bright and early again the next morning.
Total: $4,777
TL;DR: Being Runway Ready Isn’t Cheap
Hathaway was right when she said audiences shouldn’t “think that hard” about how Andy could afford her job at Runway. Even if she was borrowing items from the fashion closet and *hopefully* getting reimbursed for all the work errands, working as Miranda’s assistant wouldn’t be easy on anyone’s budget. You need to really invest in your wardrobe and glam to work alongside the iconic editor in chief. And don’t even think about thrifting some cerulean.
Total: $30,107
