Cost of Living (Oakland: apartments, to rent, incomes)

[palvar]

I currently live in Philadelphia and make a good living, but may be changing companies in the near future. There are some positions I could fill in Oakland and I have been looking at housing and cost of living in and around that area - and I just have to ask. How do people afford to live in the bay area? Is there some big savings that I am not thinking about as compared to east coast cities? I would be interested in your input. Thanks!

[ssmaster]

what do you mean "make a good living"? the term is kind of subjective.
for example i have a friend who swears a single person needs to make at least $180,000/yr to live well in sf while on the other hand many families get by on less than $80,000. it depends on your expectations.

[jbunniii]

The basic idea is the same as anywhere else - don't spend more than 25% of your gross income on rent, and you should be OK. The rents are high here so generally that means you will need to live in a smaller or less desirable place than most other places in the US assuming the same income. Below a certain income you may need to look into housemates or renting a room in someone's house. Or live far away where it's cheaper and deal with a bad commute.

The only "big savings" I can think of compared with the east coast would be lower utility bills because you don't need air conditioning or heat here nearly as much as you do out there. But that's only a couple hundred dollars per month at most.

There's no magic wand, in other words. People in the Bay Area on average pay a bigger fraction of their incomes to housing, or live in poorer-quality housing, than people in most other parts of the country.

[mysticaltyger]

^^^What Jbunniii said.

Incomes are higher here but not enough to make up the difference in the cost of living. If you're in Philadelphia, think of how people in Manhattan live. They pay a lot to rent or own small apartments (and most Manhattanites rent). California is a less extreme version of Manhattan.