| By "alone" do you mean not sharing just bedrooms or any rooms? Most new grads share an apartment with roommates but have their own bedroom. I know many recent grads living in New York (myself included), mostly earning from $60k to $120k, and it's not a problem for any of us. What's tough is settling down with a family. But as a single person - especially with the additional savings you get by not owning a car - it's fine for tech salaries. To make it more concrete, here's a budget: $70k starting salary (low for NYC tech) -$24,500 taxes (overestimated at 35% to be safe) -$18,000 (1500*12) Manhattan rent + utilities -$18,000 careless youth living expenses ($1.5k/month subway, eating out, bars, museums, music, traveling, etc) ______ $9,500 left over per year for saving. So even underestimating salary, overestimating taxes, not choosing a super cheap apartment, and not being frugal in the slightest on monthly living expenses, you still net $9,500 per year. |