[thesmart]

Uhm, usually because living in the Bay Area is actually a 10x better life for some people. Great weather, very diverse, lots of jobs, public transit is good, arts are amazing, food is amazing, close to sea and ski, etc. etc.

[mnbcvx]

Somehow I doubt that any of that has too much effect on quality of life. I live on less than 400 USD per month and I bet I'm happier than the average Bay Area resident. I also know that I eat far better. Via the internet I have access to all the arts I could ever want. My transit is a bicycle, which is ideal for me. My city is FAR more diverse than anywhere in the US and I'm a few hours from the sea. Weather is a bit hot but I like that. But like I said, pretty sure whether I'm happy vs. sad derives from something else entirely.

[ceoj]

Which city is it?

[mnbcvx]

Phnom Penh. It's a really nice city if you stay away from places where expats congregate. Lack of open spaces and fields though are something that I miss. It's dirty too, but its other charms make up for it. Every day I buy the best fruits and vegetables I've ever tasted at the market near my apartment.

[anonymousguy]

The bay area art scene could be better, but I doubt 10x better. Fort Worth, which I used to compare in my previous comment, has some pretty strong art museums recognized internationally.

https://www.fortworth.com/about/neighborhoods-districts/cult...

Soon Fort Worth will over take San Fransisco in population, and at the last recession was far less disrupted economically. Speaking purely from data and statistics Fort Worth is more diverse than San Fransisco with regards to ethnicity, religion, nationality, and so forth. And I doubt there is a substantial difference in the diversity of food options since I have been to San Fransisco. The weather and public transit are likely superior though.

Otherwise, if I were single and had 10x the income I would likely agree that the bay area is a more fun place to be.