I think if you are working for a Google / Facebook and getting a wage adjustment, the end result would be about even. If you drop from $400,000 to $300,000, but your rent goes down by $30,000 a year, and also your taxes go down from California rates then in the end things might even out give or take a few percent.

However, if the choice is between working for a local company and working for a high end bay area firm, then absolutely the best financial move is to move to SF/Seattle/NYC. Local companies here top out at $150,000 for a senior engineer, so if I can make $400,000 in a big city, then even with the higher cost of living, I still would come out way ahead living in SF.

Depends on how frugally you live. If you are young and ok with room-mates. You'll save more money with the higher cost of living in SF than other areas.

If you didn't live in SF your roommates could be paying you rent...

Not really. The majority of things cost the same regardless of where you live besides real estate, which is extraordinarily distorted from actual value.

Most companies have separate expense allowances for these cities because of what you said is certainly not true.

A car costs the same no matter where you live in the United States. A computer costs the same no matter where you live in the United States. A phone costs the same no matter where you live in the United States. A refrigerator costs the same no matter where you live in the United States.

I could go on, but you get the point I'm trying to make here right?

"A car costs the same no matter where you live in the United States." -- do you really believe that?

You seriously chose THAT as your hill to die on? lmao. You absolutely understand the point. High COL is better. Easier to max your 401k, easier to pay healthcare minimums, easier to save money in general since the only great cost is your rent. Besides that, perishable foods, electronics, damn near everything else will be a similar price. I moved from NC to SF and don't regret it. Entry level TC in NC is $70k, here it's $150k+. The max salary for a Senior IC is NC is about $120k, here it's fucking $500k. You people aren't thinking critically at all. The best bet is to suck it up and work in a high COL city, save up, and then go buy a mansion wherever you want outside of SF/NYC.

Yes, as with all the other things I listed, car prices are commoditized.