You can get a 1500 sq ft house on .15 acres in Austin within 15 miles of downtown for 1200-1600 / mo. Depending on how polished of a neighborhood you demand. Avg salary is $75k/yr.

I don't even want to know how much it would cost in NYC. I went on my honeymoon there in Queens. We stayed at the La Quinta and took the subway into town. Everything was expensive. I did successfully haggle with a local shop over the price of a 12 pack of bud light. They took like two bucks off...

12 pack at the local grocery store is under $10 including tax.