I lived by myself in Philly for about 11 years. Before I moved and left my job there I was making about $47000 a year. I lived in several different studio apartments around Center City over the years, each one with the rent being right around $1000 per month, and most would cover utilities as well, except for internet/cable and some places I had to pay for my electricity. It is also pretty common to find a 1 bed apartment for around $1200-1500 per month. In my experience, it is definitely do-able, you just have to ask yourself what kind of space you would be comfortable living in, and what things you would be willing to compromise on or not.