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Old 01-24-2013, 07:28 PM
 
Location: State of Transition
102,193 posts, read 107,809,412 times
Reputation: 116087

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Emeryville (west Berkeley) is affordable, as are parts of Berkeley, El Cerrito, and Lafayette and Walnut Creek, depending on how much space you want. All on the BART line, easy commute. Take a look at Craigslist rentals, "Berkeley Hills", etc. Definitely take the job. The Bay Area's a great place to live.
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Old 01-24-2013, 07:59 PM
 
1,018 posts, read 1,849,517 times
Reputation: 761
The cost of living is higher in the Bay Area, but it's not twice as high. Costs besides housing are not particularly higher. You might save on heating costs. Food is generally fairly cheap here. If you're driving everywhere now, transportation costs could be lower. Lots of people here find that though they're spending more, their greater earnings make up for it.
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Old 01-24-2013, 10:03 PM
 
Location: San Mateo County, CA
101 posts, read 275,512 times
Reputation: 64
You could definitely do better (as in cheaper) than Burlingame. But I personally think 75K without a second income would be tight. I"m just basing that on what I've made in the past and some friends who made about that. But it all depends on your lifestyle. But the Bay Area is truly incredible!
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Old 01-24-2013, 10:12 PM
 
1,018 posts, read 3,379,682 times
Reputation: 588
do you have relatives in colorado, or will you miss colorado once you leave? if you have the same quality of live making 75k, but you miss your old place because of relatives/friends, no amount of money will make you any happier.
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Old 01-24-2013, 11:46 PM
 
Location: San Francisco, CA
15,088 posts, read 13,445,686 times
Reputation: 14266
Quote:
Originally Posted by yathrakaaran View Post
Hi Everyone...

I am stuck...feels stupid but I am thinking to say 'no' to a $75K job in San Francisco..!
I live in Colorado, with a salary of $40000. Now offered a position in SF, after doing some research I was planning to live in Burlingame,CA and commute to SF. After thinking about the traffic, almost $1700 more to pay rent , I am thinking to say no... am I going nuts? What do you guys( who live there) think? Is $75000 liveable on in SF?

Some more info.... I am married but my wife is not working,no children. We are happy with $40000 here in CO...BUT can we survive in SF?

Thank you for any suggestions....
No, you are not stupid. As someone who has lived here for four years now, I can tell you that you are very smart for staying put.

You need a lot more than $75K to come out ahead and be comfortable in the Bay area, especially on the peninsula. This is one of the most expensive spots of land on earth. You would face a significantly higher cost of living here, and real estate / rental is going through another big upswing now. You can do it, but you will be more stressed about making the budget work. And if you live in a cheaper part of the bay, then there is a good chance that you will face 1-1.5 hour commutes daily - each way. It only makes sense if you really believe that your long-term career prospects here will provide strong upward earnings potential into the six figure salary range, and you're willing to tough it out to get there.
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Old 01-24-2013, 11:53 PM
 
457 posts, read 756,561 times
Reputation: 498
Just all around bad advice here. You are getting a 100% raise. That is almost unheard of. You would not get another offer like that. Remember your next salary will be determined by your current salary. 75k is decent if you rent, have no major loans and no kids. You can either choose to survive earning 40k rest of your life or have a real shot at a career and six figure salary with the move
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Old 01-25-2013, 01:08 AM
 
Location: Newark, California
2,250 posts, read 1,395,402 times
Reputation: 685
dmode is right. The sheer amount of the raise alone should be enough. Plus now any promotions will only mean more money. The salary and job are fine. You'll just need to re-evaluate your living conditions and save a little until you can accumulate money in the bank. That salary will push it IN SF but you can make it in the Bay Area though. If your wife could make a second salary even if it's only a 15-20/hr a week part time job then that should push your household income to over 90K a year. Just try and live close to a BART line and commute and you'll save tons. The peninsula is the most expensive place to live. The east bay is where you should look without a doubt.
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Old 01-25-2013, 01:10 AM
 
202 posts, read 532,018 times
Reputation: 118
Even with 75k you should be able to afford buying property. I think it's recently started going up but there's still tons of property in foreclosure and low mortgage rates. Just be patient and look around, maybe rent in the meantime.

Also, why would you choose Burlingame?? It's kind of like asking if you could afford to live in Atherton. 75k will go along way in a lot of places around the bay. Yes, you'll have to commute but I think it's worth it.
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Old 01-25-2013, 04:47 AM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,771 posts, read 104,683,221 times
Reputation: 49248
Quote:
Originally Posted by DocGoldstein View Post
$75,000 would be decent for a single guy. For a family of 4 you may need to live some place like Vallejo, or West Oakland (high crime areas with poor schools, and much less desirable).
I am not sure where the "family of 4" comes in, he is married, wife does not work, but they have no kids. That being said, I agree with you: it wouldn't be easy to live on his income and enjoy the wonders of the bay area..I am certainly not putting down $75,000. It is simply the cost of living in San Francisco is very high, especially when you think of all the wonderful places to explore that have a price tag on them.
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Old 01-25-2013, 04:53 AM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,771 posts, read 104,683,221 times
Reputation: 49248
Quote:
Originally Posted by yathrakaaran View Post
Hi Everyone...

I am stuck...feels stupid but I am thinking to say 'no' to a $75K job in San Francisco..!
I live in Colorado, with a salary of $40000. Now offered a position in SF, after doing some research I was planning to live in Burlingame,CA and commute to SF. After thinking about the traffic, almost $1700 more to pay rent , I am thinking to say no... am I going nuts? What do you guys( who live there) think? Is $75000 liveable on in SF?

Some more info.... I am married but my wife is not working,no children. We are happy with $40000 here in CO...BUT can we survive in SF?

Thank you for any suggestions....
The decision should be made, more on which job you would enjoy the most, where is your future (which company offers advancement) and why you really want to re-locate? You and your wife are the only ones that can answer these questions. Sometimes it is worth the sacrafice for the future, other times it is better to sit back and wait for another opportunity. Money isn't the only thing to consider. Something else; you have no kids and your wife is a stay at home wife. Are either of these situations likely to change in the near future? If a family is in the picture, $75,000 becomes a lot harder to live on..What about taxes and insurance differences in the two areas?

You need to do a lot of comparison shopping before making a decision.
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