The real monthly cost of a first apartment

Rent is the big number on the listing, and it is never the whole number. Electricity, internet, renters insurance, and the things a kitchen needs all land in the same month, and together they usually add about a quarter on top of the rent.

The number that matters is what a month costs with the door closed and the lights on. That is the figure a paycheck has to cover, and the one most people learn the hard way.