The formula in actuality is your annual income should be 40x the monthly rent. So if your rent is $2k, you should make $80k a year pre-tax. There are a lot of studios and Jr. 1 beds for < $2k/mo. in Manhattan. Most people have roommates though, and your average 2 bdrm is like $3,200/mo., which means you only need to make around $65k/yr. This is very doable.