SEA to LAX???

[flyingsaucermom]

Originally Posted by thelopez2

With Toyota Sales and Financial services moving to Texas your husband will probably now will have more competition for the job, you might not have to worry about moving..

The position itself has nothing to do with finances and everything to do with technology, design and analytics... they're head hunting from the usual suspects (i.e. Google, Amazon, Microsoft, etc..).

[woodsart]

If I could be located in either city, Seattle would be my choice for many reasons. It just fits me better. That said, I like LA ok. (I have lived in both cities.)

My experience is that it is primarily the difference in housing cost for a high end condo or apt and commuting costs that makes the financial difference. The rest is pretty comparable. In Seattle, I rented a one bedroom in a luxury high rise with an excellent view and amenities for about the same price as I pay for an old cottage (same size) in a reasonably nice part of LA (but nowhere near the beach and nothing particularly special). In Seattle I could easily live without a car. I paid $185 per month for an unlimited bus and rail pass. Here, I have a car payment, insurance, and a lot of gas to the tune of over $4 per gallon. It's about three times the cost in commuting and I spend about 5 hours a week on the road.

However, there were more jobs here. And it isn't a bad city if you have enough money to be comfortable. We have great food, and it is cheap to go out here compared to Seattle. The beaches are nice. I actually miss the rain, but hiking and other outdoorsy stuff is in abundance here. I miss living in a true downtown area that is nice (I couldn't come to love the grime of DTLA) but I like my community. It is quaint and charming, and people are friendly.

[HarryKerryJr]

Yeah my uncle so badly wanted to move back to Seattle, but far more jobs in LA for high finsnce broketage career. Yeah more jobs here because it just so much latger on a huge scale. Long Beach, Portland, and Seattle have similar number in population. Also the wealth here adds to it here, as well. My uncle had to sadly stay in LA for the well paying job. Seattle is a lovely city, but no jobs for my uncle.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by bluevelo

I'm not anti-LA at all but I think that unless he gets the kind of money you're talking about - Seattle is cool in many ways that LA is not. Now, the upside of LA is its a hell of a lot sunnier compared to Seattle... but its a megacity in a way that Seattle is not.

I visited Seattle for the first time in May last year and found it very similar to Sacramento - oddly the time I visited you had a stretch of sunny weather - only day of clouds was the morning we left. Other than being a bit bigger, more expensive, and a lot more scenic than Sacramento I wasn't that impressed with most of the tourist destinations - everything seemed seemed overpriced by 10-20 dollars. The EMP museum was *really* lame. There's cool quirky stuff everywhere though and I liked that.

Housing prices seem somewhat comparable to LA, so you won't have a big shock there. I think it comes down to what you want in a city. LA has a LOT more to do... and better weather. If I could make $230K a year I'd love LA, but the best I could do would be low $120s and that means either renting near the ocean, or living a gazillion miles from your job if you can find a house you can afford that's not in a total ghetto. The one thing you can't buy more of in life is time, and I don't want to spend it sitting in my car commuting

Why do people make it sound like you need to make six figures to live in LA? Do you have 5 kids to support?

Getting a house may be a stretch but not impossible, but plenty of people live quite well in nice areas in apts or condos aren't making over 100K.

You live in Sacramento, no offense but it doesn't really sound like you have a grasp on the cost of living in LA at all.

Telling people they need over 200K a year in salary to live well is ridiculous.

[thelopez2]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

Why do people make it sound like you need to make six figures to live in LA? Do you have 5 kids to support?

Getting a house may be a stretch but not impossible, but plenty of people live quite well in nice areas in apts or condos aren't making over 100K.

You live in Sacramento, no offense but it doesn't really sound like you have a grasp on the cost of living in LA at all.

Telling people they need over 200K a year in salary to live well is ridiculous.

In this case it is a comparison cost of living. They make 180k now, with addition housing cost and taxes, they'd need additional income. What income is needed to still maintain their current lifestyle and saving and retirement plan. We don't know if the OP has 60k a year going into saving, if the took a pay cut they wouldn't be able to maintain that.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by thelopez2

In this case it is a comparison cost of living. They make 180k now, with addition housing cost and taxes, they'd need additional income. What income is needed to still maintain their current lifestyle and saving and retirement plan. We don't know if the OP has 60k a year going into saving, if the took a pay cut they wouldn't be able to maintain that.

There is no mention of children, regardless of whether you live in Seattle, LA or even NY. You should be able to bank/invest a lot of that salary and still live well.

Ever hear the expression "keep your overhead low"? Just because you earn 180K a year doesn't mean you have to live like you earn 180K a year.

Smart people when they get a raise, don't go increase their lifestyle, they maintain their current lifestyle and bank the difference.

I know a couple who recently bought a 5 bedroom house in MA on an acre. They're in their 50s( second marriage for both, only one adult child between them). They had a smaller house that was paid off. Why they need a 5 bedroom house is mind boggling. Now they have a mortgage.

Not to mention the upkeep. It is about being smart with your money.

[thelopez2]

Originally Posted by flyingsaucermom

Wow, thank you for all your replies! Yes, $230k is about what I was thinking too. Our condo is about 40 min-1 hour from his work, but the corporation provides a very efficient bus system (with wifi) and the nearest bus stop is just down the street. We're really happy here and we really don't want to move.. but money talks and we'll just see where this goes!

40-60 minutes will get you a place $250k fixer house in the city to $600k condo south next to the beach with an ocean view. I'm not sure of the cost going north into the Valley or public transportation into work. BH is a way from the freeways with the last few miles being the slowest.

[sawkeaton]

Originally Posted by bluevelo

I'm not anti-LA at all but I think that unless he gets the kind of money you're talking about - Seattle is cool in many ways that LA is not. Now, the upside of LA is its a hell of a lot sunnier compared to Seattle... but its a megacity in a way that Seattle is not.

I visited Seattle for the first time in May last year and found it very similar to Sacramento - oddly the time I visited you had a stretch of sunny weather - only day of clouds was the morning we left. Other than being a bit bigger, more expensive, and a lot more scenic than Sacramento I wasn't that impressed with most of the tourist destinations - everything seemed seemed overpriced by 10-20 dollars. The EMP museum was *really* lame. There's cool quirky stuff everywhere though and I liked that.

Housing prices seem somewhat comparable to LA, so you won't have a big shock there. I think it comes down to what you want in a city. LA has a LOT more to do... and better weather. If I could make $230K a year I'd love LA, but the best I could do would be low $120s and that means either renting near the ocean, or living a gazillion miles from your job if you can find a house you can afford that's not in a total ghetto. The one thing you can't buy more of in life is time, and I don't want to spend it sitting in my car commuting

Ew Sacramento.

[SandyCo]

seain dublin, the OP isn't asking for recommendations on their budget. They're only asking what a comparable salary would look like if they moved from Seattle to L.A. Whether or not they need it is irrelevant.

I'd do a little more research into that company before pulling up stakes and moving here. Jobs at that level aren't easy to find, and if something happens, he might be unemployed for quite a while.

[lrmsd]

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