J, you make plenty enough a week to make it out here. I know people who make much less ($13-$16) and who survive and enjoy life just fine. You're in fact making just as much as some of my friends in regular full time jobs so really, what you can afford is what you want to be able to afford. But on that kind of steady income, where you want to live is up to you. Deals and budget are flexible in Chicago since it's so big -- look and ye shall find (exactly what you're looking for).