How much would you need to make in the Bay Area to live comfortably?

[baydude]

By comfortable for someone single, I mean own a car, rent a 1 bedroom apartment with no roommates, be able to dine out 1-2 times a week and still have a few hundred for savings every month.

 

[Nograts]

Tree fiddy?

 

[maddogchen]

100k

And when you say dine out 1-2 times a week, you mean the $100 per person dinners that all the tech geeks shell out right?

And when you say own a car, you mean a Nissan Leaf or you mean a Tesla?

 

[jlee]

I'm pretty comfortable in Phoenix. Payscale's cost of living calculator says I'd need ~$118k to be equivalent. North of $100k would probably be alright, but I haven't actually priced stuff out to be sure.

 

[Printer Bandit]

if mexican gardners can live there, anyone can.

 

[baydude]

100k

And when you say dine out 1-2 times a week, you mean the $100 per person dinners that all the tech geeks shell out right?

And when you say own a car, you mean a Nissan Leaf or you mean a Tesla?

Now that you mention it, I also forgot to mention expense for going out on dates occasionally. I would expect to pay $50 to din out with friends and $100 for dates if we're seriously dating.

The car would be an introductory luxury car like a Lexus IS or BMW 3 series. No car payments and assuming it's paid off.

 

[manly]

100k

And when you say dine out 1-2 times a week, you mean the $100 per person dinners that all the tech geeks shell out right?

And when you say own a car, you mean a Nissan Leaf or you mean a Tesla?

This is a bit high, but you aren't too far off.

But it all depends on rent, if you're in some nice flat for $4k a month, then you'd be eating ramen noodles while making $100k gross.

 

[baydude]

This is a bit high, but you aren't too far off.

But it all depends on rent, if you're in some nice flat for $4k a month, then you'd be eating ramen noodles while making $100k gross.

Just did some research and I think $100k gross is still too low. If you account for 28% standard deduction for a single tax payer, you'd have $72k after tax for spending. Then if you go by the recommended max allocation for rent at 30%, your max rent is $1800/month. I have yet to find a 1 br apartment in a comfortable location for $1800 a month.

 

[Drako]

I'm going to say 80K, but you aren't going to be living in a nice neighborhood.

 

[moonbogg]

lol@california. 100k = studio apartment poverty ahaha. Min wage needs to be $100/hr.

 

[madoka]

I have yet to find a 1 br apartment in a comfortable location for $1800 a month.

1 bedroom? For under $1800? :whiste:

 

[Printer Bandit]

 

[madoka]

By comfortable for someone single, I mean own a car, rent a 1 bedroom apartment with no roommates, be able to dine out 1-2 times a week and still have a few hundred for savings every month.

Whatever Tridentboy's imaginary salary is, triple it.

 

[moonbogg]

1 bedroom? For under $1800? :whiste:

OH MY GOD!!!! Ahahahaha! What kind of money do you need to buy a house around there? I think a point comes where a "job" will no longer provide such income LOL. You have to be straight up rich as hell LOL. Millions and millions is what you need ahaha! That's such BS.

 

[maddogchen]

Now that you mention it, I also forgot to mention expense for going out on dates occasionally. I would expect to pay $50 to din out with friends and $100 for dates if we're seriously dating.

The car would be an introductory luxury car like a Lexus IS or BMW 3 series. No car payments and assuming it's paid off.

Whats amazing about the Bay Area is how much money people have to just throw around. Thats why I asked about the type of car to see what you are like.

People have money to get a second car for racing on the weekends, or they get a pilots license to go flying, or they take expensive ski trips, go surfing, scuba is hot too. I've seen friends spend $1000 on a bicycle and spend time on that on our ultra nice sunny weekends. Shopping at Burberry for jackets, shelling out $150 for jeans, going to Indian casinos and plopping down $50-100 a hand. There is a lot of money to be made and spent here.

But my advice is to try to ignore it all. Get a decent 1 bedroom in the East Bay. Max out your 401k, save a bit, and have a fun weekend once a month instead of every weekend. Ignore the nice cars your coworkers are driving (they are probably leasing them anyway). And when your friends invite you to go for a $400 dinner in Napa, politely decline.

 

[manly]

Just did some research and I think $100k gross is still too low. If you account for 28% standard deduction for a single tax payer, you'd have $72k after tax for spending. Then if you go by the recommended max allocation for rent at 30%, your max rent is $1800/month. I have yet to find a 1 br apartment in a comfortable location for $1800 a month.

True, but now you're changing the parameters.

Originally you said dining out twice a week, saving just a few hundred bucks a month, and no car payments.

So either you can spend more than $2k on rent per month (well, you may have to), or you're wasting the rest of your net income on hookers and blow.

Also, the insane rents in SF aren't exactly representative of the entire Bay Area. It's bad everywhere, but gentrified SF takes the cake.

 

[Printer Bandit]

But my advice is to try to ignore it all. Get a decent 1 bedroom in the East Bay. Max out your 401k, save a bit, and have a fun weekend once a month instead of every weekend. Ignore the nice cars your coworkers are driving (they are probably leasing them anyway). And when your friends invite you to go for a $400 dinner in Napa, politely decline.

that right there is great advice

 

[Drako]

1 bedroom? For under $1800? :whiste:

http://www.apartments.com/808-post-st-san-francisco-ca/gczzj6y/

http://www.apartments.com/325-leavenworth-st-san-francisco-ca/9x70f54/

 

[purbeast0]

no amount of money would make it affordable since there is no lindy dancing scene

 

[Drako]

no amount of money would make it affordable since there is no lindy dancing scene

You are so wrong about that.

http://www.lindylist.com/

 

[Insomniator]

How/why do people have so much money in the area? What is the average job there?

I only wonder because I'd be fairly comfortable living in Manhattan on 60k-80k... and there are plenty of jobs (IT for me) that would allow me to do it.

Is everyone in the bay area a celebrity or execs for google? Everyone poor? Its not like 125k + jobs are SUPER common... even in NYC.

 

[manly]

Is there public housing in Manhattan? How the fuck could you possibly live comfortably on $60k gross?

 

[baydude]

http://www.apartments.com/808-post-st-san-francisco-ca/gczzj6y/

http://www.apartments.com/325-leavenworth-st-san-francisco-ca/9x70f54/

Gauratee you that is fake, even for Tenderloin. 1br 950 sq ft for $1600 is losing money for them.

 

[BurnItDwn]

If I was in the Green Bay WI Area I would be comfortable with like 60-70K probably.

 

[jlee]

You are so wrong about that.

http://www.lindylist.com/

That's not authentic Lindy, bro.