It is very possible to have a room in an apartment and food and heat and a cell phone and used clothes and access to public busses for less than 14k/year in man

It is very possible to have a room in an apartment and food and heat and a cell phone and used clothes and access to public busses for less than 14k/year in many towns and cities If you look at median net worth of individuals. You'll see that over 50% of people have enough money to live for years without working. Hence, the "most people" phrase. https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/average-american-net-worth https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/average-ame.... There are plenty of people who feel like they have to live in a high cost of living city. And plenty of people who feel like they have to drive a new car and live in a 4 bedroom house and take their family to Disney World. But those are all choices people make in how they want to live.