[STi2Three35i]

Hey guys,

I need some input from people who have lived or currently live in the San Francisco area.

I am currently living in Philadelphia (born and raised) and have been out of college for two years. I have a degree in accounting and have a solid job at a good company outside of city. For several years I have been itching to leave PA to experience a different place, something new and now the opportunity is in front of me.

My current salary is 35k (barely cutting it), and the salary offered to me in San Fran is 55k doing pretty much the same thing I am now. I hear the cost of living is pretty expensive in San Fran. I have been searching Craigslist for apartments (lofts,studios) and they all seem pretty expensive (1k-2k range).

Do you think I should let this opportunity pass and give myself some more time or is time my enemy? Im 24 yrs old and feel like I have to make decisions that will make me happy at the end. I think my best bet is to try to find a roommate
on the forums?

I appreciate all the input I can get! Thank you!

[Elliott@DetailAddict]

I grew up in the North East.
Those salaries are pretty comprable.
SF is incredibly expensive to live in.

[GTAutoConcepts]

You are correct, sf is a very expensive city. 55K a year isn't too bad, after taxes, you will be left with around 42k a year leaving you roughly 3500 a month. You can get by with 3500 a month, the rent market is insane so the more you can save the better. It's a great city, I am sure you will like it here

[manutdas11]

Try maybe finding a place to live outside the city and commute or take one of the public transportations.

[uniter]

55k is unlivable.

[2ndname]

Lived in SF since I was 9, moved out to the East Bay 3 years ago when we saved up enough cash to buy a place. SF is good if you manage your money well, especially at 55K a year. Where exactly is the job? Downtown SF? You can always get a place a bit further away in the Richmond or Sunset district, take the Muni down to the workplace. I'm sure that will save you a bit of cash.

[crzylildude]

Just don't live inside downtown SF... find a place outside downtown... there is alot... you will be fine... it is not that expensive...

[rg87]

Standard of living in SF is VERY expensive. The Bay Area is fairly gonna cost more to live in, in comparison to PA.

If you really want to make the move, live outside of SF and commute. There's plenty of ways to make it into the city with public transportation (Bart, ferry, bus, muni, etc).

[edirtaynine]

i grew up my entire life in LA and thought it was semi-expensive here. SF, however is no joke. i dont "think", i KNOW it's fucking expensive to live there. 55k will barely make it here in LA. LOL. but then again, SF is such a non-car-friendly city, if you dont have a car, and no car payments, 55k will get you by. and after taxes and other deductions, you're probably realistically looking at about a 1500-1600 paycheck every two weeks. that's not a lot. at all. especially if one entire paycheck goes to rent. throw in a car payment and insurance and gas, then you're going to need more money to survive.

i second what rg87 suggested and live outside the city and commute. cheaper rent and overall cost of living. and your front/rear bumpers will thank you too.

[cbrando68]

Take a hard look at your career and personal growth potential. You are still young and have a lot of career growth ahead of you still.

55k in SF isn't going to go too far, but damn, that's a nice upgrade from Philly.

[to_riffic]

Man, I already know where I'm staying if I moved to SF, I just wish I found work up there too!!! I miss SF...

[cvc 22349a]

OP: You're young. Go for it. The Bay Area is an amazing place to live; right on the Ocean and the Sierras are 3 hrs away. You won't be saving much money at $55k a year in SF. As someone else mentioned, look for an apt. in the upper Richmond or Sunset districts of SF. If you're young and single, stay in the city; don't commute from the burbs.

SF native

[Antic5]

Do it, 55k and you can pull it off. You wont be able to party non stop but you can live just fine.

[skinrock]

Originally Posted by l_taylor

You are correct, sf is a very expensive city. 55K a year isn't too bad, after taxes, you will be left with around 42k a year leaving you roughly 3500 a month. You can get by with 3500 a month, the rent market is insane so the more you can save the better. It's a great city, I am sure you will like it here

I made 50k my last year in Michigan before moving out here, and I only pulled in $2850 a month after taxes. I'd say expect about $3000-3100, plus I think CA taxes are a little higher, and I wasn't putting into 401k or health insurance.

[SIKH335]

The Bay Area is a great place to call home. If you look at South San Francisco and have a room mate or two, $55k a year will work and leave you some rooms to have fun. I would do it.

[Das335]

Absolutely 100% you should make the move. Besides being able to live in an absolutely beautiful city, (according to this tool) your 55K will take you a fair amount further than the 35K was in PA.

[Thumperx]

I'll say the say thing that I mentioned to another person who did not have a job and planned to come out here from Michigan. Be prepared as much possible before coming out. As you already know living here in the Bay area has wonderful qualities, but extremely expensive. There's a flip side living here. I've lived here in the bay area for 20 years and 10 years in southern California.

I'm glad that you got a good "entry" wage. but that $55k is the above standard of living as $35K else where. You'll notice a bit of breathing room once you get above $60k, and you'll begin to save and travel.

Don't be fascinated to live in the SF. Living in the east Bay or south Bay can allow you to stretch the dollar even further. Consider: Castro Valley, Hayward, San Jose, Sunnyvale, or Fremont. 1 bedrooms may range from (depending on area) $1200-$1450 (500-800 SQ ft) and two bedrooms may range from $1550 $2200 850-1100 Sq ft) . Less than that is a DUMP or safety is factor.

Commute time came be 25-55 minutes to and fro from work is typical, northern or southern California, depending on direction. Fuel is $3.93 (Costco) to $4.30 (Shell) for premium, average is $4.09. Since you're single, dating is NOT inexpensive.

Once you get accustom to everything, it will work out. Good luck to your endeavor BTW, I just took a job in Michigan, but with California+ wage. Maybe cold, but I'll ways to warm up (hehehe).

[GTAutoConcepts]

Originally Posted by skinrock

I made 50k my last year in Michigan before moving out here, and I only pulled in $2850 a month after taxes. I'd say expect about $3000-3100, plus I think CA taxes are a little higher, and I wasn't putting into 401k or health insurance.

I see. $3100 is do able I would say. Just got to live outside the city and be very conscious on spending. What do you think? The city is so damn expensive, living in SOMA will cost you 2800k plus for a one bed room without parking. I remember paying $3600 a month for rent about 4-5 years ago in SOMA, can't find sh*t anymore for that price. My friends are paying $3k plus for their 1 bedrooms. Just insane.

[skinrock]

Originally Posted by l_taylor

I see. $3100 is do able I would say. Just got to live outside the city and be very conscious on spending. What do you think? The city is so damn expensive, living in SOMA will cost you 2800k plus for a one bed room without parking. I remember paying $3600 a month for rent about 4-5 years ago in SOMA, can't find sh*t anymore for that price. My friends are paying $3k plus for their 1 bedrooms. Just insane.

I don't think you can live in the city on it, unless you don't care that most of it goes to rent (or you find some roommates or live in a not-so-decent area). If you don't care and just want to live in SF, then you can probably find a studio and have $1000 left or so.

When I lived there, I found a 1 bed in FiDi for $2400, but parking was $300. After the first year, it jumped to $3200 for rent alone, so I moved out immediately to Dublin (East Bay) and now pay $2400 total for a 2 bed/2.5 bath 2 floor townhouse. It's amazing how much more you can get out here - you just have to sacrifice with commute time (and cost, but it only costs me less than $175/month for BART for one of the longest trips 4 days a week).

[skinrock]

Originally Posted by Thumperx

BTW, I just took a job in Michigan, but with California+ wage. Maybe cold, but I'll ways to warm up (hehehe).

I somewhat envy you. My family is still in Michigan, and what you described is the only way I'd move back. Although I've made a lot of good friends out here already.

[BMW F22]

Holy shit the amounts that you guys are paying for rent are ridiculous. Never knew it was so expensive to rent a place. Makes me appreciate things even more.

Anyhow, OP- if you want to make the move you can do that. I think $55k will do just fine. IMO how much you make is relative to your living style. You could be making $100k a year and still have no money if you spend all of it. Just be mindful of your budget and you'll be good to go. Let's also not forget that if you think SF is too expensive, you could always find a new job in the South Bay and move there instead. It'll be cheaper than SF for sure.

[STi2Three35i]

Thanks for all the feedback guys! This is all great to hear.

The company is located on:

Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105

Hopefully they can fly me out there to see the company and get a chance to look at a few places.