New York City area, NY, USA. Manhattan is outrageous but the surrounding area is cheaper. I live comfortably with few compromises at $2800/month. Rent: $1500 f

New York City area, NY, USA. Manhattan is outrageous but the surrounding area is cheaper. I live comfortably with few compromises at $2800/month. Rent: $1500 for half a 1300ft^2 apartment. You can easily get much cheaper than this. Food: $300/month for expensive organic groceries Restaurants: $40/person at mid-tier restaurants, $20/person at lower end but nice places. Utilities: $150/electricity, $120/cable/phone/internet(15mbps) Transportation: $2/subway, $90/monthly pass Insurance: $250/month for health, $50/month for dental Salary varies widely. I think $60k for college grads up to $150k for senior people. Double it if you work in finance. Roughly 30-40% goes to taxes and stuff. Lots of hipsters working as waiters live happily here, so it's possible to get by on very little.