Disagree! Rent apt is not a good reason

You certainly can negotiate, but the need to rent an apartment is not a good reason at all. When you negotiate, you should put yourself in the employer's shoes. Does renting an apartment bring them any benefit? If not, why should they pay you more. Where you live and how you commute is your problem.

When you negotiate, you need to show your value, either in terms of your experience compared to the job qualification, or the comparable market price at the area. Also you can trade off some benefit for the money. For example, you can decline the medical benefit if you are covered in your spouse's plan.