hmmm... $1900 a month.
Utilities:
Cell phone: $40-50 a month easy
Internet access: $60 a month
Other utilities? Electricity? Water? Garbage? $50-75
Food: $15 a day x 30 days a month= $450 (This is the low end. Have you been to Safeway lately?)
going out to eat twice a week for one month? $20 bucks a plate = 160
Cable? $30-60 a month. or $110 a month Comcast cable/high speed bundle.
So, the total for those utilities you're looking at 700-900 a month, unless you can get some of those bundled with your place.
Transportation: Car? $100 a month in insurance on the low end.
Car payment?: 300 a month (low end more for a new car)
Gas? $100-150
Parking???
To have a car, you're talking a total of 500-700 a month in expenses. It'll be cheaper if you take the Muni, of course, but then you have to factor in occasional cab rides and car rentals if you want to go out of the city.
So, just in expenses, you're talking $1100 - 1800 a month. That doesn't include clothes, any bills that you have to pay like credit cards, or school loans. You will probably have to fly home once or twice a year to visit mom and go to the required family reunion. If you're like me, when you're living on your own in a large city by yourself, you go out a lot more often, and eat out a lot more than twice a week. That also doesn't include emergency expenses like parking tickets, car repairs, a new laptop once a year, World of Warcraft subscription, new IPod, etc...
You could probably manage on 60k a year, but it's going to be really tight. And, if you don't watch out, those credit card bills will start creeping up in a hurry. That's all I'm saying.