[ghaff]

One of the things that distorts these discussions is that it's not just SF proper that's expensive for the most part. It's also the South Bay, Marin, and even parts of the East Bay. It's hard to have a decent daily commute from anywhere that's relatively inexpensive. That's not the case with most cities where a 20-40 mile drive (or even a commuter rail) to where the jobs are (which may or may not be in the city proper) can get you into fairly reasonably-priced housing.

[hackissimo123]

London also has excellent public transport. (Some Londoners might disagree, but have they ever travelled? I've never been to any other large city where it was easier to get around by train and bus.) It's very easy to live in London without needing a car, which brings the cost of living down substantially.

[ljm]

London is very well connected in a bunch of ways (bus, tube, ferry, overground, DLR, tram, train, boris bike...) and in the centre is a lot more walkable than you might think, to the point of not really needing any of it in certain areas.

The reason we call it shit is because (before COVID) they're pretty much all pushed beyond capacity during the commuting hours, or practically all the time between the main tourist spots. Commuting in London is a truly hellish experience.

And that includes the commuter trains that are frequently delayed or cancelled while ticket prices increase above inflation every year.

The best thing that happened from covid is skipping the commute and saving the £300 a month it took to get to the office and back.