I would posit that those people spending $3-$4k a month are making a great deal more than the $15 an hour that this thread is talking about. Living in NYC, London etc is for people that make a vastly above average salary. Anyone choosing to live there on ~35k a year or under is asking for financial distress. Granted it is very hard to move to another city when you are making a low wage as moving is expensive but if you have a job making $15 at McDonalds in NYC, you can get a job at McDonalds making $15 an hour in Alabama or Ohio and enjoy a better cost of living. You wont have all the perks and nice to haves of NYC but a financially sensible person would not be enjoying them on that wage anyway.