Possible job offer in area- liveable on 70-75k salary? (San Jose: apartments, to rent)

[Sotad]

I might be receiving a job offer for a (non-tech industry) position in Mountain View. It suspect that the salary range might around 70k to 75k. I'm mid 30s, no kids, no debt, but I do have a girlfriend who'd I have to temporarily support until she could find a new position.

I've been doing a lot of reading but I still am really unsure...and increasingly skeptical about my ability to make the move. Is there anywhere in the South Bay area where I'd be able to afford a modest (but not unsafe or trashy) 1 bedroom apartment and be able to survive? If not, how far would I have to drive? Especially interested in hearing from anyone who's lived on that kind of salary.

[njbiodude]

If you're totally debt free you'd probably be all right to rent a place. If you've got car and student loan payments then maybe get a roommate.

Where are you coming from and why do you want to live here?

[MediocreButArrogant]

70k per month is a good salary. Your SO won't have to work if you make 70k per month.

[cardinal2007]

Originally Posted by Sotad

I might be receiving a job offer for a (non-tech industry) position in Mountain View. It suspect that the salary range might around 70k to 75k. I'm mid 30s, no kids, no debt, but I do have a girlfriend who'd I have to temporarily support until she could find a new position.

I've been doing a lot of reading but I still am really unsure...and increasingly skeptical about my ability to make the move. Is there anywhere in the South Bay area where I'd be able to afford a modest (but not unsafe or trashy) 1 bedroom apartment and be able to survive? If not, how far would I have to drive? Especially interested in hearing from anyone who's lived on that kind of salary.

The further south you go the more likely you'll be able to afford a 1bd, but be prepared to spend up to 1/3 of your gross salary. In San Jose right now the average 1bd is somewhere around 2300/mo, and it goes a little higher from there up to Mountain View, with the average age of apartments going up, so if you're willing to move to a modest apartment they tend to be cheaper the further south and east you go. In place like Mountain View there isn't much difference between the modest and average apartments, and there are few and far between newer apartments which you have no chance of affording.

So I think your best bet is to start at Sunnyvale and look at apartments there, and move south until the quality, age and size of the apartments is tolerable to you. Look at Craigslist first:

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/...900&bedrooms=1

A lot of these are things like in-law units, or actual roommate situations that are misfiled. So not many actual 1bds, more so as you go south. You probably want to avoid East San Jose (if you're not sure what part is that, just ask). If you look up in the peninsula avoid East Palo Alto.

[Wintermomma]

I think it is tight but do-able. If you like to live luxuriously in several respects, however, you won't be.

[Sotad]

Originally Posted by njbiodude

If you're totally debt free you'd probably be all right to rent a place. If you've got car and student loan payments then maybe get a roommate.

Where are you coming from and why do you want to live here?

Coming from a suburb of Philadelphia. For comparison's sake, I rent a 2 bed, 1 and a 1/2 bath house for 1100 a month, so the lifestyle change would be significant. A roommate (besides my girlfriend) is definitely out of the question.

It's not so much that I really want to live there as that it's very hard to find jobs in my field and you have to take opportunities where they come.

I think it is tight but do-able. If you like to live luxuriously in several respects, however, you won't be.

Yeah...I don't have a problem living very modestly, but my girlfriend is another story. I think she's gotten used to having a decent sized house and a lot of space and...things, so it would really be a problem to downgrade to a 500 square foot apartment.

A lot of these are things like in-law units, or actual roommate situations that are misfiled. So not many actual 1bds, more so as you go south. You probably want to avoid East San Jose (if you're not sure what part is that, just ask). If you look up in the peninsula avoid East Palo Alto.

How does the commute compare going up and down the peninsula to Mountain View vs towards the San Jose area? What about across the bay to places like Newark?

[mstnghu2]

Originally Posted by MediocreButArrogant

70k per month is a good salary. Your SO won't have to work if you make 70k per month.

While it's definitely possible to get by with $70k/year with no kids and no debt, I'd hardly call this a good salary for living in the Bay Area.

[ondys]

Originally Posted by mstnghu2

While it's definitely possible to get by with $70k/year with no kids and no debt, I'd hardly call this a good salary for living in the Bay Area.

Well, he wasn't talking about $70k/year...

[mstnghu2]

Originally Posted by ondys

Well, he wasn't talking about $70k/year...

The OP said a $70-75k salary. Most people would reasonably assume that's yearly.

[Sotad]

Ha no, that was definitely yearly. Just guessing here, but I don't think I'd be worried about living in the Bay area on 840k a year!