In 2023, a full-time worker needs to earn an hourly wage of $28.58 on average to afford a modest, two-bedroom rental home in the U.S. This Housing Wage for a two-bedroom home is nearly four times higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25.
source: https://nlihc.org/oor/about
this isn’t even taking into account groceries, transportation, medical expenses, etc. the problem is not buying too many carbonated drinks.