115k in San Diego vs 90k in ATL

[togetherinjesus]

So obviously San Diego is expensive. The biweekly take home after taxes/deduction in SD would be about $2900 vs $2200 I get now.

Paying $1600 for a 640 sq ft 1/1 in midtown ATL, looking for the same hopefully around $2000 in SD.

Curious to hear what y’all think in SD. Factoring in true cost of living in SD, think it’s worth the trade off?

P.s I hate Atlanta and want to move. Long term would like to buy a house in Florida just saving until then.

 

[rrztop1]

@togetherinjesus I love SD and would absolutely choose to live there. I think it would be worth the trade-off, even if it resulted in a step-down in standard of living. Housing is expensive in SD, of course, but most other things are pretty reasonable - some things will be cheaper, like utility bills because you won't really need heat or AC. And there are a lot of free things to do - beaches, hiking, biking, etc. so it's really easy to entertain yourself without spending much money.

If you don't like where you are and want to move, and you have the opportunity, then do it.

 

[snowfishblue]

@rrztop1 Lol you don’t know SDGE. Utilities are NOT cheap in SD. At all. And the summer rates are kicking in. Food costs are high, gas is still almost $6/gallon, and housing is higher than I’ve ever seen. My aunt and uncle both make 6 figures and struggle to make ends meet here. Sure, part of that might be lifestyle, but their rent alone is almost 5k for a 4 bedroom house in a questionable part of town. I honestly don’t know many people that can afford living here without a roommate or multiple incomes. And yes the beaches and hiking are awesome, but also very crowded from tourists. Finding parking anywhere near the beach on the weekends is horrible. People fight in the parking lots over spots. Trails are always overcrowded as well. I was born and raised here and am leaving because of how outrageous the cost of living has gotten. Not to mention more and more homeless encampments popping up all over the city.

 

[togetherinjesus]

@snowfishblue What area do you live in/what areas would you recommend? On one hand a cross country move with pets and furniture doesn’t sound financially feasible. On the other hand, something new would be nice and San Diego does seem lovely. Might be important to note that my firm is covering moving expenses but 115 is starting to seem low in San Diego with my long term financial objectives.

 

[rrztop1]

@snowfishblue I didn't mean that the rates were cheap, just that because you don't need to run the heat/AC basically at all (unlike a place like ATL), your overall costs will be lower.

At any rate, I have family and friends in SD and they're all doing pretty well with regular type jobs - living fine, enjoying life.

 

[snowfishblue]

@togetherinjesus I live in SD and rent is insane. You’ll be lucky to find a 1 bedroom for 2k tbh. I would start looking for housing before you make a decision, because you honestly may not find something that fits your budget.

 

[kristensss]

@togetherinjesus I think it’s worth it if only because you hate Atlanta. It is a pay raise too, although I think 90k goes further in Atlanta then 115 in sd. That salary won’t allow you to buy there probably but you can definitely find a decent rental. So financially maybe not the best decision but life isn’t all about penny pinching.

That being said, why wait on Florida if that’s where you want to be? Why not wait for an opportunity there. But again choose San Diego if it’s between these two. I think a change of scenery would do good, and SD is an amazing place if you can afford it.