[mariojv]

$100 for one person eating out?? I feel like even at a nice sit down place in San Francisco when I visited late last year I was paying much less than that.

In low cost of living / mid cost of living (LCOL/MCOL) areas you can definitely eat out for two at a decent place for less than that. Pricing out for two at my favorite local Italian place in San Antonio, here's the bill:

$15 - spaghetti with homemade meat sauce

$16 - penne arrabiatta

$20 - wine

Pad 28% for tax and tip and you come out to ~$65.

On San Antonio Zillow, I'm finding almost 200 results for 2 bedrooms at $1200 or less per month.

I don't think San Antonio is even the lowest LCOL location you could find, by far. Even in Texas, not looking outside the state, El Paso's way cheaper, maybe Corpus Christi.

I think people often overestimate how much it costs to live quite well in a LCOL area.