Possibly relocating to Mclean from Atlanta. Will my salary be enough? (Arlington: apartments, rental)

[atlien2010]

Hi. I have a possible job offer in Mclean, VA for $45K. I would be relocating from Atlanta. I want to move for the new opportunity and chance to do something new. Also for a good opportunity to move up in the working world.

I'm really excited about this new opportunity, but Im just a little worried about the cost of living differences.

In Atlanta, I pay about $720 for a 1bd apartment in the suburbs (abt 900 sq ft). I've looked online for apartments in Mclean and a studio runs at about $1500 . I'm not looking for a huge apartment, just something nice and affordable.

I'm 27, single female (no kids) and would like to live in an area with people my age, that's safe, and easy to explore ( i have a car).

I have a car note (under $300/mo), student loans (abt $200/mo), car insurance ($120/mo), and a cell phone. I've managed to save up $4000 for this move.

With the salary im offered in Mclean, will it be enough to live?

Also, with this salary will I HAVE to get a roommate? (haven't had a roommate since college, and not sure how to find one in this new area).

Any suggestions, recommendations, or other areas to consider??

Thanks in advance!!

[PK12]

Long story shrot - the move doesn't sound very feasible at all.

[atlien2010]

Originally Posted by PK12

Long story shrot - the move doesn't sound very feasible at all.

Could you explain? I really want some insight into this. What kind of salary would make this move feasible?

[JfromReston]

Only feasible with roommates. Take it if you see opportunities to move up in your profession, but know that you will be struggling here on that salary.

I plugged your numbers into this calculator and it is a very lean budget.
Budget Calculator

If you really want to move here, you might want to consider getting a part-time weekend job to make ends meet until you move up in your career.

[The Dissenter]

You are definitely going to have to get a roommate to make this work and even then the question is what quality of life are you going to have. If you have a solid job in Atlanta, I would personally advise you to stay there. I make about $40k and it is extremely difficult. I live in Arlington with a roommate and my bills are similar to yours. I have very little left for leisure. My situation was different since I was about to be laid off in Louisville so I had no choice but to take the only job offer I had. I would have done the move anyway but I would have changed a couple of things different (sold my clunker and done Zipcar; I'm currently comtemplating doing this).

Overall, the question is quality of life. Is this job worth being pinched for money?

[atlien2010]

Originally Posted by The Dissenter

You are definitely going to have to get a roommate to make this work and even then the question is what quality of life are you going to have. If you have a solid job in Atlanta, I would personally advise you to stay there. I make about $40k and it is extremely difficult. I live in Arlington with a roommate and my bills are similar to yours. I have very little left for leisure. My situation was different since I was about to be laid off in Louisville so I had no choice but to take the only job offer I had. I would have done the move anyway but I would have changed a couple of things different (sold my clunker and done Zipcar; I'm currently comtemplating doing this).

Overall, the question is quality of life. Is this job worth being pinched for money?

I have a "solid" job here, but its pretty dead end. I'm not happy here. I've looked for other opportunities here, but haven't found anything. That's why I decided to take my job search elsewhere.

I've visited the Mclean area before and thought it was really nice. And I really just want to do something new. I've lived in Atlanta my whole life.

I really want to think about this realistically though. I'm assuming roommates are fairly common here. How would I find one, being new to town? Craigslist seems pretty sketchy to me.

[ItalianExec]

45k salary will not even qualify you for apartments in Mclean and Vienna. Even renting room will run you between 600-800 in the area. I would suggest renting a room in a group house where the rent might be lower in Vienna/Falls Church/Reston areas. Get estabolished in your job, change companies in a year or two to get a higher salary, and take additional training in your profession to become more marketable.

You are moving into one of the top 10 most expensive housing markets in the USA. Living in Atlanta is almost free by comparison where you can get a decent SFH for under 150K.

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by atlien2010

I have a "solid" job here, but its pretty dead end. I'm not happy here. I've looked for other opportunities here, but haven't found anything. That's why I decided to take my job search elsewhere.

I've visited the Mclean area before and thought it was really nice. And I really just want to do something new. I've lived in Atlanta my whole life.

I really want to think about this realistically though. I'm assuming roommates are fairly common here. How would I find one, being new to town? Craigslist seems pretty sketchy to me.

I have to concur with the other people who have posted on this. For a 1br any where near McLean you are looking at atleast $1300. You might be able to find a income property rental (basement or room by owner) situation, but even then you are pushing the budget with $1000.

Expand your search into Vienna/Falls Church, and yes you will need a room mate for sure, and you can probably find a 2br for around 1700-1800 (though it will be pretty bare).

I cant help with where to look for roommates. If you do go for a craigslist meet up, make sure its in public, get all the info you can about the person at that meet up, etc. Good luck.

[FCNova]

Originally Posted by atlien2010

I have a "solid" job here, but its pretty dead end. I'm not happy here. I've looked for other opportunities here, but haven't found anything. That's why I decided to take my job search elsewhere.

I've visited the Mclean area before and thought it was really nice. And I really just want to do something new. I've lived in Atlanta my whole life.

I really want to think about this realistically though. I'm assuming roommates are fairly common here. How would I find one, being new to town? Craigslist seems pretty sketchy to me.

You can definitely do it. You'll need a roommate for sure. And you won't be rolling in disposable income but if you are frugal it shouldn't be too big a deal. And if you really need to you can get a part-time job. If you're unhappy where you are and the job here looks like something you really want then don't be scared about the money. If you were talking about 25-30k I might tell you you're asking for trouble. Craigslist does seem a little sketchy on the surface but I think alot of people look for roommates there, at least in this area. But I have no experience using it for that purpose.

[atlien2010]

Originally Posted by FCNova

You can definitely do it. You'll need a roommate for sure. And you won't be rolling in disposable income but if you are frugal it shouldn't be too big a deal. And if you really need to you can get a part-time job. If you're unhappy where you are and the job here looks like something you really want then don't be scared about the money. If you were talking about 25-30k I might tell you you're asking for trouble. Craigslist does seem a little sketchy on the surface but I think alot of people look for roommates there, at least in this area. But I have no experience using it for that purpose.

Thanks for the optimistic perspective.

I really want to do this, so I will have to seek out roommates. I just find it a little weird making living arrangements with strangers lol. I dont want to live with a potential psycho . I've never had to do this before.