How much do you expect to pay for a decent unit in a prime down town location?
I'd say it's probably about $2k-$3k for a 1 bedroom in Downtown. What she showed would basically be at least $3k.
You probably don't want to be in Downtown if you're living LA though. You want west of there primarily like Santa Monica, Hollywood, Culver City, etc. which can get pretty pricey at around ~$2k for a studio if you want to be up in the mix with a much older looking unit.
It's not really only the rent that will kill though, it's the prices for food, gas, etc. and how expensive it is overall around the area.
For example, a little ice cream spot around the way from our house around near the LAX area is like $40 for two. $14 for a single scoop of ice cream is ridiculous, I don't care if all the people gas it up.