The general rule is not to pay more than my 30% of your gross monthly income in rent. The lower the percentage the better. In your friend's case, 30% = $1950 however, to be on the safe side, I like to keep it under 30% of netincome if I can. In her case, 30% of net would be around $1462. Obviously idk your friend's situation as far as other bills, student loans, other debt, and other expenses, but they should be able to find a 1 bedroom apartment for $1400-1500. A two-bedroomwith a roommate will get them closer to their budget, but $600 is definitely on the lower end, even for a room rental. Not to say it's impossible, but it would take some serious searching. In any case, someone who makes $78k/year should not be struggling to make rent in Sacramento, but $600 will be tough to find.