Cost of living for summer internship in San Francisco (Oakland: for rent, neighborhoods)

[Fibonacci112]

I was just offered a software engineering internship in San Francisco that pays an $800/week stipend. Is this enough to live reasonably in San Francisco? I'd be totally willing to live with roommates (I go to school in the Bay Area and will probably have many friends living there). Would be nice not to have to pinch pennies too tightly.

[bmw335xi]

Yep, that's no problem since it's an internship and you are fine with roomies. Enjoy

[Ruth4Truth]

Are you talking about living in SF proper? You go to school where in the Bay Area? Where are you living now? if you're in the East Bay, why not stay there, and commute to your internship? A room in a shared household will cost almost half in Berkeley what it costs in SF. Or for more or less the same cost as a room in Berkeley, you could get a shared room in SF, something like that. But bear in mind that commuting from Berkeley could be faster than commuting to, say, downtown from somewhere out in the southwest of town, where rents are cheaper, and some of the college students are sharing rooms.

[Fibonacci112]

@Ruth4Truth - I currently live on-campus at Stanford. I'm up for living anywhere within reasonable distance of SF - obviously SF would be the most fun but it's not the most financially optimal.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Fibonacci112

@Ruth4Truth - I currently live on-campus at Stanford. I'm up for living anywhere within reasonable distance of SF - obviously SF would be the most fun but it's not the most financially optimal.

You can start researching by checking Craiglist for Berkeley and north Oakland for rooms for rent, and compare with the same in SF. Then you can also look at room shares, and compare. That will give you an idea of how it all stacks up. From there you can decide if it's worth it to you to squeeze into SF, or to opt for the East Bay and commute. If you need advice on neighborhoods while you're searching the listings, or transportation time comparisons and other advice, you can post here.

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by Fibonacci112

@Ruth4Truth - I currently live on-campus at Stanford. I'm up for living anywhere within reasonable distance of SF - obviously SF would be the most fun but it's not the most financially optimal.

Where will your internship in SF be?

[NewbieHere]

That's about $20 an hour, it's harder for SF.

[Fibonacci112]

@HockeyMac18 - SoMa.

[NorCalLover]

Shouldn't be a problem, as long as you don't live right in SOMA or another very expensive neighborhood (like Pacific Heights or the Marina). Staying in Oakland / Berkeley is the fiscally responsible choice, but since it's only for the summer you might as well enjoy living in SF. The East Bay is a good alternative if you can't find a place.

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by Fibonacci112

@HockeyMac18 - SoMa.

Specifically where in SoMa. That's a huge neighborhood. If near 4th and King, for instance, taking Caltrain to/from your summer internship might make the most sense.