22-year-old recent grad spends 80% of their paycheck on rent, can't understand how fellow professionals get by on entry-level pay: 'How is this sustainable?'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
May 27, 2025 4:00 PM EDT

Many people believe they cannot live in high-cost-of-living areas like New York or San Francisco on a modest salary. I find it somewhat silly when someone claims it's literally impossible to live in these places if you make under $ 100,000. It is absolutely possible to live there on half of that, but you have to be able to make sacrifices. You're probably not going to be living in the coolest or nicest neighborhood if you make $50K in NYC. You're absolutely going to have to live with roommates, splitting the $4000 rent price into something a lot more manageable. You probably won't be able to afford a $500 monthly car payment in a high-cost-of-living (HCOL) area if you're not already making a substantial income. You can't live the same lifestyle  you could live in Chicago or Houston in a high-cost-of-living city, but you can certainly live there if you're willing to be a little uncomfortable sometimes. 

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  • I would much rather live in a less-than-ideal neighborhood with roommates, paying $1000 in rent, than in the fanciest neighborhood, paying $3000 in rent just to live alone. The recent graduate in this story somehow managed to spend 80% of her take-home pay on rent and somehow thinks this is normal. 

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    via Vinicius "amnx" Amano (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    Just started my 'professional' job and realized my rent is literally 80% of my take-home pay. How is this sustainable?

    I recently landed my first "real" job after graduating, something I worked hard for. The title sounds good, the work is interesting, but after my first paycheck, reality hit hard. My monthly rent payment alone eats up nearly 80% of what
    via u/Commercial-Basil7859
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    Cheezburger Image 10510637568
    via Sam Jotham Sutharson

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    I actually take home. After taxes, utilities, student loans, and transportation, there's barely anything left for food, let alone saving or any semblance of a social life.
    via u/Commercial-Basil7859
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    I feel like I'm playing a game where the rules changed, but no one told me. How are young professionals supposed to build a life when entry-level pay barely covers basic survival? Am I missing something, or is this just the new reality for everyone starting out?
    via u/Commercial-Basil7859
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    Edit ** Wasn't expecting so much feedback. I live in NYC. Don't have a relationship with parents and they don't live in the country anymore. I have a marketing role. Working on a startup with friends.
    via u/Commercial-Basil7859
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    via Christian Ladewig

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    mp90 I lived with roommates in a big city for five years until I earned a six-figure paycheck that allowed me to move out on my own. Very few people can afford to live on their own fresh out the gate.
    via u/mp90
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    AlternativeAmoeba623 Right? Roommates are the norm and if you live with people you know it can be kind of fun. I graduated right after the Great Recession. I had roommates until I was 28. It was in DC though, so it wasn't weird or embarrassing. Everyone in big cities has roommates early in their careers or until they get married.
    via u/AlternativeAmoeba623
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    Conscious_Can3226 Roommates are totally normal, and have been since we moved away from marriage being the only way you leave your parent's house. My grandmother, who was born in 1933, lived in a woman's house in her late teens when she moved to the city for work. She had her own bedroom, but she shared a bathroom, had a curfew, and part of her rental fee went to breakfast and dinner.
    via u/Conscious_Can3226
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    Trust fund kids positing on social media are skewing kid's expectations of what is normal. Most people haven't been able to live alone on their first job for at least 80 years.
    via u/Conscious_Can3226
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    snarkitall Yeah. I'm not saying that we don't have a cost of living crisis or that the wealth gap isn't increasing, but it's never been "normal" for young people starting out with their first jobs to be able to afford to live in their own place.
    via u/snarkitall
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    Able-Distribution It's not. Either your rent is too high and you need to move, or your pay is too low and you need to get a higher paying job.
    via u/Able-Distribution
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    PM_ME_FIREFLY_QUOTES But, and I mean this with the utmost sincerity, it's more likely both of these.
    via u/PM_ME_FIREFLY_QUOTES
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    Salty-Image-2176 I'm confused here. Were you blindsided by the rent/mortgage?
    via u/Salty-Image-2176
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    teamorange3 What's more confusing is how did the landlord let them sign the lease with that salary. Has to have a cosigner who is gonna get f ed when it's all said and done
    via u/teamorange3
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    nsxwolf It's called "living paycheck to paycheck" which is better than most Americans manage. And you just graduated?! And you're paying your student loans too?! And I presume you don't even have a roommate?! Do you know how rare that is? I graduated in 2000 and nobody I know really got anywhere until their 30s.
    via u/nsxwolf
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    snot_marsh_sparrow I side eye anyone who's freshly graduated and living alone without roommates. They're either woefully naive about reality or money is not an issue for them (because trust funds or bankrolling parents). And in NYC? Even people making over 100K have roommates here.
    via u/snot_marsh_sparrow
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    Nosutarujia I remember this hard truth after I got my first proper job after graduation. Prices in London are ridiculous, but the pay?.. not even close to cover the basics. People say to save, live humbly and look for better jobs, but reality is that in certain locations it's a lost battle. You either have the luxury of living with your family and just waiting until you get enough experience to land a better paying job, or you must share the flat with others.
    via u/Nosutarujia
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    For me the shocking part is how everyone made it into a norm. Older generations will say how spoiled we are and how we live above our means, etc. The irony is, both of my parents only shared flats whilst studying - somehow both had decent income and quality of life once they graduated. The things were being told and how we're being attacked for wanting too much of not saving enough sound ridiculous, when you look at how our parents lived or what they were able to allow themselves with similar ci
    via u/Nosutarujia
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    Another thing.... Were often sold stories how well we will earn and how good life will be once we're qualified. The biggest lie of all. Job market is bad now and people seem to work for pennies. Qualifications don't seem to matter that much anymore, unless you have years of experience and can negotiate a better deal for yourself. Sorry this happened to you and I hope you can find a way to squeeze the most of this situation: beef up the cv and look for a better paying job. Perhaps find a way to c
    via u/Nosutarujia
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    SmallHeath555 Graduated college in the mid 90s. Worked 2 jobs for several years Drove a very old car that was rusted out badly Did not have any real spending money until I was in my 40s. Real life adulting
    via u/SmallHeath555
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    karanlol "After taxes, utilities, student loans, and transportation" Maybe, don't focus on the percentage too much. Focus more on real numbers- how much do you need for food, social life and other activities? Develop a plan around that- side gig on the weekends for a while or moving out to a cheaper location.
    via u/karanlol
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    zer0411 30% max on rent, I try not to exceed 23% at 80% there is no way you can have savings and any kind of social life going places. You can eat cheap using food pantries and save some money but yeah 80% is just insane. I know 60 year olds moving in with 30-40 year olds because no one can afford sh anymore and its sad that employers refuse to pay a living wage
    via u/zer0411
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    tracyinge It's not the norm in America, it's very hard if not impossible to find a landlord who will rent you an apartment when the rent is 80% of your income. 40% is considered pushing it to the limit.
    via u/tracyinge

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