How Expensive is California? (Compared to AZ?)

[AllAboutEve]

Originally Posted by FresnoFacts

SLO is actually fairly expensive for housing, the university demand pushes prices up.

Studio apts in the city of SLO run about $800/mo. 1 or 2 bedrooms would be higher. Median home sales price in SLO was about $560,000 last quarter. Towns outside of SLO like Paso Robles will of course be lower, the county-wide median price was somewhere around $360,000 in May.

But add in the lower wages in the area and it becomes tough.

Nice area, but there is a tradeoff for the lifestyle.

Yes, all areas along the coast are expensive, but I think that compared to other places that he listed (Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, San Diego) it is more affordable. It is also a lot cleaner, and it has a lower crime rate than some of those place. And being that so many people visit there, it might be easier to find a hotel job.

[vdy1985]

OP can move to the Inland Empire. You would be ~45-60min from the beach, and the cost of living is lower in the IE versus coastal regions.

[FresnoFacts]

Originally Posted by LizCab44

Yes, all areas along the coast are expensive, but I think that compared to other places that he listed (Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, San Diego) it is more affordable. It is also a lot cleaner, and it has a lower crime rate than some of those place. And being that so many people visit there, it might be easier to find a hotel job.

The original poster said they wanted to pay $800-$1100 a month for rent. The OP also said they would like to find a 1 bedroom for about $900. A studio apt in SLO is about $800.

Santa Barbara would be higher but most of the others are actually about the same or slightly lower in cost than SLO.

That is why I said it might be cheaper in the outlying areas around SLO. Rents inside the city are driven up by students attending the college.

Last time I checked, many hospitality management jobs around San Luis Obispo also had a lower salary than in many of those other areas. Some of the hospitality supervisor positions pay less on average in SLO than in Phoenix.

I don't know what area Karma works in (front office, restaurant, housekeeping, etc.) but that should enter into the research and decision also.

As I said SLO is nice area, (I used to live there) but there are tradeoffs.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by FresnoFacts

SLO is actually fairly expensive for housing, the university demand pushes prices up.

Studio apts in the city of SLO run about $800/mo. 1 or 2 bedrooms would be higher. Median home sales price in SLO was about $560,000 last quarter. Towns outside of SLO like Paso Robles will of course be lower, the county-wide median price was somewhere around $360,000 in May.

But add in the lower wages in the area and it becomes tough.

Nice area, but there is a tradeoff for the lifestyle.

Wow, that is along the lines I was thinking, but worse than I thought.

[KarmaPhx]

Originally Posted by FresnoFacts

The original poster said they wanted to pay $800-$1100 a month for rent. The OP also said they would like to find a 1 bedroom for about $900. A studio apt in SLO is about $800.

Santa Barbara would be higher but most of the others are actually about the same or slightly lower in cost than SLO.

That is why I said it might be cheaper in the outlying areas around SLO. Rents inside the city are driven up by students attending the college.

Last time I checked, many hospitality management jobs around San Luis Obispo also had a lower salary than in many of those other areas. Some of the hospitality supervisor positions pay less on average in SLO than in Phoenix.

I don't know what area Karma works in (front office, restaurant, housekeeping, etc.) but that should enter into the research and decision also.

As I said SLO is nice area, (I used to live there) but there are tradeoffs.

I haven't finished my degree and haven't worked my way up to management yet, but I am currently a supervisor, and have 5+ years of experience in the field.

I think we decided on the Encinitas/Carlsbad area near San Diego. We are making a trip out there in a few months to start looking at the area.

[ArielE]

We are considering a few ares such as San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Ventura Area, and a few others, but we really have no idea where to start.[/quote]


I'm doing research on affordability in CA too, I'm no expert on the area, but am considering moving there from MN. The cheapest coastal southern areas that I've found with relatively good (and some mixed) comments on this forum are Oxnard, CA and Santa Maria, CA. Ventura looks gorgeous and is only a few miles from Oxnard, which seems a bit less expensive. I found the median home prices on www.bestplaces.net by looking up each city. It gives you lots of statistics, including cost of living, housing, weather, and some comments from other bloggers. Using this site may be helpful. Let me know what you find out because I am also undecided at this point!