Pros/cons for SF/Bay area?! Trying to convince my wife to move out there. Thinking about an exit to tech, but the business case is tough financially. Thoughts?

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I made the move from Chicago a few years ago as well. But it was because my SO got a job in big tech. Even with his tech pay we found it hard to sustain a decent lifestyle. My consulting pay was just too low to be able to afford a decent standard of living here. I recently made the move to tech as well so it was worth it in the bigger picture and things are much more comfortable now.

That being said everyone’s goals and baseline of expenses and savings are different.

Two things to keep in mind- 1.if you want to make the move to tech, it’s a lot easier to do if you’re local. 2. The cost of living is a lot higher that you expect it to be. Don’t forget state tax and food is a lot more expensive (SF mandates etc).

I wouldn’t move back to Chicago because after three years of California weather I don’t think I can do snow anymore expect for a couple of weekends in Tahoe.

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There is no business case. SF cost of living is absurd and poor local government make it even worse
Weather and city are certainly nice but you can’t make a purely financial argument that it’s a good place to move

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Move to Austin or RTP

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Cons: It’s expensive and parts of the Bay are very elitist.
Pros: Most parts are really diverse with great public schools and a lot of fun activities. Weather is moderate year round

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Did the Chicago to SF move a few years ago, no regrets! Though we still struggle with whether we can afford to be here long term (can't get a home for less than $1M). My spouse exited to big tech; weather is awesome, so much to do, really bright people.

Agree with the cons that the Bay is a bubble/elitist and I sometimes feel like I step back in time when I travel to other cities lol. That said, Chicago is a good city to miss - I make multiple trips for summertime chi 😎

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Listen to your wife. It’s expensive and there are better west coast options

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D2 You can’t make a purely financial argument that it’s not cheaper to live in the rain forests of Brazil, that’s an inane line of reasoning.

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Commute to downtown SF is a pain in the ass.

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Thanks for all the insights. This is helpful.
Challenge is really I’m in tech doing Advanced Analytics/Data Science - she’s not

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Where do you live now?

Living in Chicago right now

D1, OP is the one who brought up the business case

If it's for money don't do it, unless it's a huge jump.
If it's for something else, recommended.

It's very tech focused. In fact that's pretty much the only thing people talk about. It's kinda annoying not being able to meet a diverse group of people. The weather is good but not west LA good. It gets cold (40's) and can get hot (90's)

P2 Pretty easy from East Bay.

M2 This is only true in some parts of SF and South Bay.

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