Where to live?

Trying to figure out if it is cheaper to live in Hibbing or GR, including transport, so I ran some numbers:

Miles Hospital to:
Grand Rapids 3
Bovey               8
Taconite        12
Marble           15
Calumet         17
Pengilly          21
Nashwauk     24
Hibbing          36

Note that I measured to an arbitrary point in each town. Yeah, I might be able to rent an apartment in GR that is only 100 yards from the hospital, or I might rent one that is 6 miles away and still in GR.

I see two different ways to calculate this. The first, and, I think, the correct way is to use the federal mileage allowance, which, I think, is $.50 per mile. To keep it simple, let's compute for monthly cost of 5 round trips per week, 52 weeks per year divided by 12 months at $.50 per mile:

Grand Rapids $ 65
Bovey                173
Taconite           360
Marble              325
Calumet           369
Pengilly           455
nashwauk       520
Hibbing           780

Note that this method theoretically includes all maintenance and upkeep expenses on an average vehicle.

The other way would be to compute just straight fuel costs. Let's figure the Mustang at a straight 20 MPG and regular gas at 2.69 (the price as of this morning), which gives a cost of $.1345 per mile and a monthly fuel cost of:

Grand Rapids $ 9
Bovey                25
Taconite          37
Marble             47
Calumet           53
Pengilly           65
Nashwauk       84
Hibbing          112

I think the first way would be a better way to figure it. Somehow, I have to afford new tires and oil changes and all the other stuff that goes into keeping a car running. The second way ONLY measures fuel costs.

I can get a furnished Studio including utilities for about $600/month in Grand Rapids. Going by the first calculation, you would need to pay me $180 extra per month to commute from Hibbing. Going the second route I would need to find a similar apartment in Hibbing for less than $500 per month.

I suspect that the truth lies somewhere between the two. However, I'm also thinking that I will restrict my search to within a 10 mile radius of the Hospital. One way or another I need to get a life, and I don't intend to live my life commuting.

So, I think, here is what I'm looking for:

An apartment, within 10 miles of the Hospital, including utilities, including Internet, preferable furnished, garage a huge plus, for about $600 per month.

The tough part will be making the deposit, usually equal to two or three months rent. I'm only bringing home about $1400 per month, and more than half of that goes into my transportation costs (loan, insurance, gas), so it kinda looks like I will be living in the car for at least the next couple of months. Guess I should be happy if I can get into an apartment before the cold weather hits, say by the end of September? I should be able to manage that, but in the meantime all the rest of my bills are going to have to wait; doesn't look like I'll be able to pay anything except current living expenses. Kind of a shame, since just a few short months ago I had excellent credit, but, c'est la guerre.