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Escort Rider is correct... San Francisco has in years past been named the most expensive place to live in the United States. I used one of those online cost of living calculators and found that I would need 87% more income in San Franciso in order to maintain the same standard of living I have in Kentucky.
Depending on exactly what you mean by "very low cost of living", the answer may be "none". However, the Inland Empire (around San Bernadino), and the desert areas (say, Indio) and the more rural inland areas in central and northern California have realtively low housing costs. As previously stated by another poster, the Calif. income tax applies statewide, but Calif. does not tax Social Security benefits. So if you live on mostly Soc. Sec. with small amounts of other income, then the admittedly high Calif. state income tax is irrelevant.
How is the crime there in those low cost of living places?
No, contrarily, do live in the city--without a car. Living where you have to get on the highway to get a loaf of bread requires a car. I bet many of us could afford the Bay Area if we didn't have a car and didn't have to pay winter heating bills.
I got to have the car. I like to travel and I like driving. I want to be crusin' in that Lambo down 101.
Its not that cold in the winter there.
$1,000 a month rent for a 1 bed/1 bath in a decent place.
Escort Rider is correct... San Francisco has in years past been named the most expensive place to live in the United States. I used one of those online cost of living calculators and found that I would need 87% more income in San Franciso in order to maintain the same standard of living I have in Kentucky.
SF and NYC are very expensive. I would like to visit NYC someday though. Both of them are tourist attractions.
$1,200 a month for a 1 bed/1 bath for a decent place.
I know some of you would never go without a car, that is carfree. In a area of good public transit, you could also go carless by driving much less. You would save some money and minimize the risk inherent in driving.
I want to say goodbye to my car but I have a elderly father to support and he lives a distant away, not on a bus route. Yet, I am only driving about 2,500 miles a year. I live in a walkable neighborhood and Denver and many areas of the suburbs have excellent public transit.
Obviously I still have the investment for the car and the insurance. I do save much on fuel and maintenance and the car last longer. In addition, I think I lower my risk of an accident, by driving less.
I like the freedom of not having a car in tow. When I go downtown Denver, it feels good to be able to walk around and take the free shuttle that runs through Denver on the 16th Street Mall. I do not have to worry about parking or the damage to my car. Going to Boulder without a car on public transit is really nice as Boulder as many circular shuttles around the town. I can shop, go to a park or just look at the characters on the Boulder Mall.
Since I am retired, my time is my own and the variables of public transit schedules do not bother me. I just go slowly, patiently and most importantly I relax in my little travels in all the neigborhoods of the Denver area, which are best enjoyed by walking. It is very surprising what one can see and enjoy on foot, bus or train that you miss in speeding by in a car.
SF and NYC are very expensive. I would like to visit NYC someday though. Both of them are tourist attractions.
$1,200 a month for a 1 bed/1 bath for a decent place.
I left there five years ago, I was paying $2,500 a month rent.
I could afford it but I would be scraping by instead of prospering, I bank that rent here
Do you assume you will be able to drive until you die?
Yes, why not. Enough drivers over 100 now. If you are healthy then you can drive. If not then I can always hire a driver to drive me around.
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