Salary Negotiation / Cost of Living

I like to think of their high end of the stated range as the midpoint of the actual range…

Definitely don’t submit a document of your expenses. That has no bearing. What does have bearing is how much value you bring to the organization… why should they pay you higher than their stated range? Not because your student loans are bigger, but because you can do more than the next guy in terms of quality work, adding to the team, adding to the environment, bringing in outside inspiration, resources, knowledge, contacts… Demonstrate that.