Relocating to San Francisco - $66K (rental, condo, how much)

[skwigiboo]

Hi guys!
I'm from Montreal and I've got a job offer in SF and I know that questions like this get posted regularly on this forum, but I need some guidance here.

I am engaged but my fiancée(not Canadian) will follow me within a year or two.
Should I take the risk to move to a more expensive city?
How much money can someone put aside with a $66k salary... ?
Knowing that my Fiancée won't be able to work when she get there... will this salary be enough for both?
let say we live in the suburbs? can we afford a house? kid? lol ... i'm serious!!

I tried adding the numbers and it gets really tight, even sometime not affordable!
thx

[mayorhaggar]

Two people could live on that salary especially if you were living in the burbs but you'd feel kind of poor. You definitely wouldn't be able to afford a house, and I think kids would make you really feel poor. Your girlfriend really can't work at all? Two incomes would really help. I think kids would be doable at around $100k a year together, but you still wouldn't be able to afford a house, maybe a condo.

[uptown_urbanist]

Are you sure that your fiancee won't be able to work, even after you're married?

Forget about the house, but assuming you don't have tons of other debts you'll be able to afford to have kids. It will feel tight, though; it's an expensive area to be a parent!

[skwigiboo]

Thx for the reply!
My girlfriend would be able to work after we apply for permanent residency but not right away... I will pass the boarders with a TN and i think she would be eligible of a visa but won't be allowed to work. This is one of the reasons I posted here cause by staying in montreal, I might not have the same salary but at least we can both work together and afford all we are planning for...
it is a hard decision to make.

[skwigiboo]

What districts or suburbs should I be considering for safe area and cheap rent...?
Should I be thinking of buying a car or public transportation will be better?

thx..

[Hemlock140]

California has a 10% state income tax so with the federal tax you are down to about $42,000. I wouldn't try to live on that in S.F. It's not much more than $3,000/month if they take out anything else like retirement or medical benefits. Remember we don't have free medical here.

I was born there and lived in the Bay Area 40 years, and it's a great place but one of the most expensive, with the median family income at $81,136.

[ambient]

That's pretty tight, and this is one of the most expensive locations on the continent. Especially if you have one or more persons potentially depending on you, you can make it work only if you're all willing to live a pretty spartan lifestyle in a small rental in a somewhat less desirable area of the Bay. I wouldn't do it if I had a better financial situation in Montreal, but that's just me.

[IDASpaceman]

Good luck with that.

[skwigiboo]

Thank you everyone, your comments are much appreciated...

[gotigers123]

You could certainly live here on 66k, but money would be tight. Supporting two people on 66k would be pretty difficult, but possible. No chance for buying a home though, you'd definitely be renting.