The price of a parking space in Manhattan is not only the highest in the nation but actually exceeds the cost of renting an apartment in many areas:

A survey of 49 American metropolitan areas found that monthly parking rates in Midtown were the most expensive, averaging $574, with downtown coming in second, at $500. The report, released yesterday by the real-estate firm Colliers International, said the nationwide average is $153, up 4.4 percent from last year.

The single highest rate was $888 at a Midtown garage — and the lowest just $20, in Memphis, Tenn.