It kind of depends. If one doesn't have a student loan and is in a medium-sized city where the standard of living is not astronomical... let's see. If it's 40 hours a week, that's about $1,600 before taxes. Maybe $1,300 after. A person alone could conceivably find a one-bedroom apartment for $600 (I just did a craigslist search for Milwaukee -- random choice -- and there are plenty.) Set aside $200 for utilities and phone and that leaves $500 to live on. Yeah, that's tight, but I've done it. It helps to be within walking distance of work. My definition of "walking distance" is 2 miles, but I'm pretty able-bodied. And before you say that's impossible, I lived in Michigan and had a night job two miles from my apartment, and I walked it even in the dead of winter. So... it can be done. It's just hard.
>>So... it can be done. It’s just hard.<<
Anyone who hasn’t lived on ramen noodles (before they had cup-a-noodles much less microwaves) and home made hamburger helper (a treat once a week) and plain-jane beer (with the blue bar that said “Beer”), had milk-crate shelves and rummage sale couch and bed, walked to work and upgraded toan old hooptie held together by faith more than physics hasn’t really been tested.
And, in retrospect, it was fun living on wits and small $. It is amazing how clever you can be if you have to. I was particularly proud of my spool table and scrap-wood homemade coffee table.