The amount that we pay for groceries is fast approaching a third of our monthly budget. We've gone a few times in the past year eating instant noodles and plain rice for a week because of unexpected costs. And I make pretty decent money, and even with my partner's income we have been just barely scraping by. A 2 bedroom apartment that doesn't have laundry in it and is a falling apart minimum 80 year old building in a rough neighborhood should not cost 2000 a month. It's unbelievable, but thats what rent costs are like throughout the area I live in.