[ryukoposting]

Groceries cost anywhere between 25% and 100% more depending on the item (200% more if you shop at Safeway). Gas costs ~50% more. Electric is 200% more unless you live in Santa Clara, in which case it's roughly normal. Water costs more.

All forms of labor cost more (handyman, mechanic, etc). Fast food costs more, normal restaurants cost more.

And that's all before you consider CA sales tax.

But yeah flights are the same so it's basically the same. Sure.

The only thing that's cheaper here than in a flyover state is lemons, as far as I can tell.

Also remember that your net income does not scale proportionally to your gross income. The math still works out, but "rent is more and that's it" doesn't even get close to an accurate picture.

And sure, a Porsche in California costs the same as a Porsche in Kansas, but if you're in "porsche ownership" territory then none of this matters to you, no matter where you live.

[siren2026]

>> Groceries cost anywhere between 25% and 100% more depending on the item (200% more if you shop at Safeway). Gas costs ~50% more. Electric is 200% more unless you live in Santa Clara, in which case it's roughly normal. Water costs more.

This thread is about someone working at Meta or similar FAANG. At those levels you make around 500k$/year as an engineer (a lot of times more).

What you are highlighting above is at maximum a difference of ~1000$/month of increase... 12k$/year. That is almost insignificant.

And you forgot to mention that those companies will bump your salary by 10-20% if you move to the Bay Area. Which covers more than the difference.

[ryukoposting]

> At those levels you make around 500k$/year as an engineer (a lot of times more).

...no? I've not been acquainted with anyone at any of those companies making more than $330k who isn't a senior manager. Rank-and-file devs (who aren't getting laid off left and right) are high-200s.

And to return to the original point, it's not that you take home more cash elsewhere, obviously that isn't true. it's that what cash you have left goes further than it does in SV. The number you see on a job listing in middle america looks a lot lower than it actually is.

[siren2026]

.... yes?

https://www.levels.fyi/?tab=levels&compare=Meta%2CSpectrum%2...

That is the starting package for a senior engineer at Meta. Most of them are in their mid-20s. Other FAANGs have similar pay.

Anyone that started more than 2 years ago also includes a crazy amount of stock growth as part of the package.