We all know that it's hard to pay rent, but how does that vary in different cities around the world

Armed with just 1200 USD (or foreign equivalent), I'm going to take a look at exactly what kinds of places I could afford to live in populous cities around the globe.

Disclaimer: This list is pretty Euro-centric, but my online resources were limited.

1. Chicago, IL, USA

In Chicago, one could actually live pretty comfortably in a studio or a 1-bedroom. This particular studio is near Lincoln Park and goes for around $1175 per month.

2. Paris, France

Okay, so $1200 is about €970, so taking that into account, let's see what we can get in Paris. This studio has a kitchen and bathroom, plus its own little balcony. It's going for € 950 per month at the moment, making it fit within our price range.

3. Houston, TX, USA

Houston may be in Texas, but it's still a pretty populous city. With our budget, we could rent a 1-bedroom in the heart of Houston's downtown complete with a spacious kitchen, ensuite washing, and drying, plus a whole walk-in closet in the bedroom.

4. Mumbai, India

$1200 is around 78,066 Indian rupees, so with that budget let's look for some real estate in Mumbai! Here we have a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment located in Powai, Mumbai available for ₹60,000. It features a large kitchen with lots of cupboard space as well as a balcony!

5. San Francisco, CA, USA

If you're looking to save money on rent, maybe San Francisco isn't the place for you. For $1200 per month, the only option in The City by the Bay is...single bedrooms for rent. Homeowners in the San Francisco Bay Area will gladly let you stay in one of their bedrooms, but not before you fork over a chunk of your paycheck. This particular room has you paying $995 per month to live with four roommates.

6. Dublin, Ireland

Remember: $1200 is €970, so that's our budget in Ireland. Adhering to this budget, I found this 1-bedroom in Harold's Cross, Dublin for €950 per month. It's just 10 minutes by bus away from central Dublin.

7. New York City, NY, USA

Similarly to San Francisco, if you want to rent for less than $1200 per month, you should probably go somewhere else. I found one apartment for $1199 per month an ONLY one. It's a studio located all the way in Far Rockaway, which isn't really anywhere near Manhattan. It does have some nice amenities, though.