I loved living and working the the Bay Area. Friends and loved ones aside (I met my wife in SF) I really loved the ability to hop on my bike and pick a climate. Tahoe one weekend, Big Sur the next, Napa the following weekend then chill at home.

I was kind of an introvert in high school and I know it is cliché, but I moved to SF and found myself. Everyone should live in a place like SF for a year when they are young. Maybe "your" SF is New York or maybe it is Singapore or maybe it is Vancouver or London or Berlin. The point is, if you are on the fence about the adventure, I recommend you take the leap.

Pros: Decent weather, melting pot, nature, food/entertainment, sub cultures, job opportunities

Cons: Unhappy populous, rampant rule-breaking and crime, crumbling infrastructure

Go to Google and search for numbeo.com you will find most of the numbers there.

when i lived in santa clara i literally felt trapped inside my home due to the horrendous traffic at a very wide range of hours.