[vimgirl]

San Diego. Not sure about the dating pool (I am an immigrant and can't see myself with someone not from my country, so never tried) bit, but you are definitely very well off in terms of quality of life. Amazing infrastructure, access to lovely beaches, great weather all year round etc. Cost of living is slightly better than the Bay Area but still high on an absolute scale.

[davidandgoliath]

I've found the cost of living in San Diego extremely inexpensive if you shop at the right places (Local Mexican groceries, for ex.). If you're comfortable living in less than attractive areas (city heights) you can get apartments for a steal.

I'm paying $1k p/mo for a 2br ~900 sq ft. one in little saigon, and it's about five minutes from the downtown core. You'll find lots of funky benefits in any city I imagine, but quality of life in San Diego can't be beaten.

Now, that's from someone who: 1. Doesn't commute. Traffic here isn't bad, but there's a few chokepoints. 2. Works odd hours, so I get to take advantage of empty parks with my kids at 2pm in the afternoon. 3. Loves the outdoors, though, I miss deciduous trees. The odd trip an hour away to Palomar mountain & Julian fixes that though :) 4. Rides motorcycles, so, that's part of why I love the weather :)

I've also lived in Chicago, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, ~12+ years in Florida and the Eastern coast of Canada, in addition to Costa Rica and a few other random places..

Overall? If I were looking to save money I'd be in Florida (Tampa, Orlando, Miami), if I were looking for best quality of life, I'd stay right where I'm at.

I'm still undecided on where I'll be in another year or two, but only for family reasons (two children, proximity to grandparents would be nice).

[rrhyne]

I live in San Diego and nothing about it fits his 'cheaply' requirement. 10% sales tax, high rents, food is expensive, on and on. I'll agree QoL is incredibly high!

[shiftpgdn]

I live in Houston which a city tons of people espouse as a "Cheap" place to live and thought San Diego was incredibly inexpensive when I visited. My wife's cousin pays about $900/mo for a 2br in a midrise in the downtown area near the ocean. For a similar place in Houston you'd be paying $2000-5000/month.

Rent in Houston is only cheap if you're willing to live in the suburbs and commute 1-3 hours each way every day.

[f7t7ft7]

It's sad how everyone ignores the "cheaply" part. It's easy to find places to live if you want to pay 1k+ a month in rent. :|

[davidandgoliath]

Padmapper. It's not hard to find a place in San Diego for <$1k a month.

[jeff303]

May I ask if you have pets and/or children? My family is looking to relocate there in about 6 months, and from my limited early research, finding a place that accepts pets and has enough space (I WFH so need an office) is remarkably difficult.