[gpderetta]

Anecdotally, 10 years ago, two people could rent and live comfortably in zone 1 (just a few minutes from work) with a salary of ~50k. A few salary bumps later we managed to buy a flat in zone 2. Prices of flats have gone up (but not as much as houses) and so has cost of living, but I would say that two people or even a family will live more than comfortably in London on ~100k, manage to save some money and even be able to buy a flat, given a reasonable deposit.

Houses, even small ones, in zone 1-2 are now prohibitively expensive, but if you are willing to move further away there are options.

[agiamas]

not only there are options, but there is excellent transportation in London, especially compared to the driving hell because of the all day traffic all around Bay Area. Another parameter I don't see people mentioning (not surprisingly, since its HN after all) is the monoculture in Bay Area, versus living in one of the few global metropolis. In the Bay all you see and live is tech, in London tech is only a part of the overall life experience.

But yeah, overall it's highly personal depending on personal circumstances than anything else.

[gpderetta]

Very much agree.

Regarding transportation, I have been living here for 13 years and still don't own a car.