Q:
If I make $2000 a month can I afford to live in Brooklyn?
I keep seeing people say you can barely survive in new york on a 45,000 salary, seriously? I guess you can't survive on this salary if you are very high maintenance.
I've seen apartments that can cost as low as $1,100 (with utilities included) which is very affordable for someone pulling in near $2000 a month. I spend about $160 a month on grocery, $60 on lights, $40 on food, $20-$40 on transportation and $40 a month on my phone bill and the rest I just throw into savings.
I don't drink, smoke, party, go out to eat or go out much at all and when and if I do go out it would cheap deals like on discount days at the museum. So I don't have to worry about money consuming vices. I also don't eat much and I don't eat any meat or dairy so food shopping is very easy for me. I am a frugal person with a good handle on money so it would not be hard to manage,.
So why does everyone say you have to make $80,000 plus just to live in NYC?
I am moving to Brooklyn regardless. I can't see how I can't make it on $2000 a month, am I missing something?
A:
You can definitely live on $2000 a month in Brooklyn, especially if you live with roommates and share expenses. But I agree with the other answerers - it will be tight. Your transportation costs, bills and food will be much higher than you are predicting.
I live in Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn. Studio apartments in my neighborhood start at around $1150, and I'm sharing a two-bedroom place for $725 a person. It's is not too far from a vegetarian-friendly grocery store and the express train to Manhattan, so it's a good place for me to live, but it's not what most people would consider a "desirable location." Apartments get a lot more expensive as you get closer to Manhattan, so while $1450 gets us a modest-sized two-bedroom apartment in Greenwood Heights, it might only get you a small studio in Williamsburg or Park Slope.
My monthly costs are quite a bit higher than you predict for yourself, and I think we live similar lifestyles after you factor out my love for the drink. We keep things to a minimum at our place (no cable) and still pay between $50 and $60 a month each in bills. You'll pay twice that if you live alone. Transportation costs will be *much* higher than you're predicting, and I highly recommend getting a monthly Metrocard ($104) and sticking to the public transit, since owning a car can become too much.
In terms of food, I almost believe you when you say you only spend $40 a week in food, but I can't imagine it will last. Once you're in the stream of New York City life, you'll find less and less time to cook, and once you've broken the take-out seal, it's going to be hard to go back to cooking every night. You should prepare to spend at least $100 a week in food, on lean week, even if you're cooking most of your meals.
All of those basic expenses come to about $1400 a month with a roommate, and would be closer to $1800 if you live alone. I'm believing you when you say you don't go out and don't drink, but if you do, you're looking at at least $200 a month on top of that. So you'll be fine, but it will be tight, and probably won't work if you don't find a roommate. Subletting a room while you get your feet on the ground might be the best way to start.
Side note: Be careful during your apartment search; $1100 apartments are not unheard of, but they're rare. There are a lot of shady cats working as real estate brokers in New York City, and those less-expensive apartment listings are frequently the bait in a bait-and-switch scenario. They'll get you to meet them and once you're on their turf they'll tell you they "just rented" the apartment they listed. They'll ask you if you want to see other apartments, but those will not be as nice as the picture in the ad, or will be more expensive. If you want to avoid that headache, your best bet is finding someone who is happy with their apartment and asking them how they got it, or paying for an honest broker (yes they exist.)