[kirso]

Don't mean to sound condescending but I am fascinated by this fascination.

If you move to SEA your cost of living might be as low as $500/m depending on the frugality and living standards. Its not for everyone obviously due to various life circumstances (caring for relatives, wife with kids, illness). But for the young, single and free there is a world out there that doesn't require you to have a 300k/y job to survive in upper Manhattan and service the car / house loans :)

I wish people explored the world a bit more. It really does give perspective in terms of how the rest of 99% live outside of our tech bubble.