Job offer in Rockville but not sure if I should relocate (Germantown: apartments, rental)

[brochiller]

Hi all, I recently got an offer for a position that pays $35000. I'm just a single guy who is trying to pay off his student loans, but I'm not sure if that's enough considering the cost of living down there. I'm from central PA, so I'm looking for apartments, and the prices seem to be too high for a salary that low.

Does anybody have any comments/suggestions for a person in my position. Would it be unreasonable for me to think I can live off of that salary in that area?

[marska]

Originally Posted by brochiller

Hi all, I recently got an offer for a position that pays $35000. I'm just a single guy who is trying to pay off his student loans, but I'm not sure if that's enough considering the cost of living down there. I'm from central PA, so I'm looking for apartments, and the prices seem to be too high for a salary that low.

Does anybody have any comments/suggestions for a person in my position. Would it be unreasonable for me to think I can live off of that salary in that area?

I think you need more $$$ to live here. IMO.

[phoenixmike11]

Yeah, it is very expensive to live here- maybe try to negotiate a higher salary if possible by bringing up the high cost of living in this area. Also, if you are not working right now (you did not mention 1 way or the other) then a job is better than none at all (who knows maybe you will get a promotion and a raise)

[maurenemm]

I came to MD almost 16 years ago for a job (right out of college). The salary was very small but I knew there was growth potential and it was a solid start to my career. Luckily, I didn't have any debt (like college loans to worry about) and my needs were very small. I started out renting a basement room from a nice old lady. She even made me dinner. After the first year, my salary grew and I was able to get more comfortable.

If the job offer looks to have potential for future higher earnings, it might be worth it. You're smart to be looking at rental options and get an idea of the cost. Working in Rockville will probably save you transportation costs over working in DC. You probably won't have to pay to park at/near your office building. If nicer accomodations are important to you, you could look to getting something in Germantown, for example, which may have a little lower rents than in Rockville and I don't think the commute would be too bad.

I moved here from Colorado and everyone warned me that everything (like food) was more expensive here but really I didn't see a dramatic difference. Although housing is definately more expensive here.