How expensive is living in medical center area?

Hi everyone!

I am graduating from graduate school soon and I'm job hunting at the moment. I'm mainly looking in the medical center area as my degree revolves around research and health care, but the pay for a lot of entry-level jobs are pretty poor, between $35K – $50K. I'm currently living with my parents, having moved back when covid hit since school switched to fully online but I do want to move out after graduation. I have friends who live in the Montrose/Midtown area which I know is pretty safe, but expensive. Is a salary range of $35K – $50K livable in Houston? I'm only looking at one bedrooms after bad experiences with roommates and I want to be somewhere safe after someone was robbed at gunpoint at my old place. Any advice?