I've lived in NYC in 75, 80, and 100k salaries and I've been fine in all cases. And that's without roommates and my SO being a student (so she can only contribu

I've lived in NYC in 75, 80, and 100k salaries and I've been fine in all cases. And that's without roommates and my SO being a student (so she can only contribute a bit for groceries, not rent). Rents are high, but so are software engineer salaries. Almost all of my friends who work in other industries make do with 50-60k salaries - we're fine. If you really want to save, get a 2 bedroom apartment with someone. If they make >70k you will have a good amount of money for fun/saving/loans.