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New York City, Los Angeles, and Seattle are the three most expensive cities for sushi in America. According to Bloomberg's "Sushinomics Cost-of-Living Index," when it comes to the price of basic sushi — which in this report was calculated based on the cost of spicy tuna and California rolls — these three cities command the top dollar. A sushi restaurant owner from Greenwich, Conn. (also near the top of the list for most expensive raw fish in the country) tells Bloomberg that a "city's sushi prices are a good indicator of costs involved, including rent, taxes and fish quality," so it's not surprising that these three cities would top the list.
New York City is drastically more expensive than its fellow index topping cities. Diners in NYC pay around 6.5 percent more than those in Los Angeles and Seattle. This data makes sense considering the fact that the city is home to some of the country's most talented sushi chefs. As Eater critic Ryan Sutton points out, a meal at NYC's Masa and Kurumazushi is about $773 and $300, respectively, per person, including tax and tip. Sutton notes that a meal for one at LA's sushi mecca, Urasawa, tops off at around $510.
Seattle, which was sixth last year, made a large leap this year on the index beating out San Francisco — a city with incredibly high rent — for the third spot. Seattle is also home to some of the country's top sushi chefs, including Shiro Kashiba who trained under famed sushi master Jiro Ono. For those looking for affordable sushi, head to New Orleans where prices are 24 percent lower than the national average.
· New York Is On a Roll With Greenwich in U.S. Sushinomics [Bloomberg]
· 2014 Sushinomics [Bloomberg]
· Masa Is Still America's Most Expensive Sushi Restaurant [-E-]
· All Sushi Coverage on Eater [-E-]