What's a reasonable living wage in San Francisco?

[C.f.M.]

Just curious. Say I was offered a job, what's the minimum amount I should accept?

[DanusLight]

Try a handydandy cost of living calculator!!

http://www.bestplaces.net/col/

[C.f.M.]

Insanely more expensive, as I expected.

Columbia San Francisco
Overall 95 206
Food 98 120
Housing 79 369
Utilities 96 93
Transportation 103 114
Health 103 113
Miscellaneous 108 131

So if housing is about 5x as much, I'd need to ask for 5x my current salary? I don't see that happening.

[Lassen Forge]

That's why most of us live OUTSIDE SF... and if we have to go there for some reason, take BART or some other public transpo, unless where we're going is out inthe middle of nowhere.

We moved 10 miles east and cut our costs almost in half. It's like Rome, it's a matter of what you'd have to give up if you want to live here.

(BTW - wages here are commensurate with the costs here... remember that!)

If you have any ?? PM me... been here long enough to know...

b

[mudpuppy000]

Insanely more expensive, as I expected.

Columbia San Francisco
Overall 95 206
Food 98 120
Housing 79 369
Utilities 96 93
Transportation 103 114
Health 103 113
Miscellaneous 108 131

So if housing is about 5x as much, I'd need to ask for 5x my current salary? I don't see that happening.

Or have four roomates.

[C.f.M.]

I've lived alone for over ten years, in a house I own...I anticipate roomates but would do my darndest to avoid them. Crazy old cat ladies need their space.

[marck]

There are people who commute from Sacramento daily, that's over 100 miles.
If you can deal with a 30-45 minute(without traffic) commute your overall costs will be much less.
I wouldn't do it unless I was given a double "0" license.

Daily BART use isn't a bad idea either if you have an office job.

[C.f.M.]

There are people who commute from Sacramento daily, that's over 100 miles.
If you can deal with a 30-45 minute(without traffic) commute your overall costs will be much less.
I wouldn't do it unless I was given a double "0" license.

Daily BART use isn't a bad idea either if you have an office job.

I'd like public transportation, and it is an office job and...it's way much of a long shot, I was just curious in case pigs do fly, and they made me an offer.

[Eric]

I've lived alone for over ten years, in a house I own...I anticipate roomates but would do my darndest to avoid them. Crazy old cat ladies need their space.

You can live in SF & get space, but you'll be out in the Avenues (the west side of the city) which tends to have less services than the rest of the City. It will still be expensive by your standards, but its cheaper than the eastern side.

One very good thing is that we have rent control on anything built before 1980- we've been in our cute 1 bedroom Edwardian with bay windows for almost 20 years and pay about half as much as our next door neighbor who's been in basically the same unit for 6. Our upstairs neighbor pays half as much as us for the same unit- she's been here 30 years. If you're renting, try to find a place you want to stay a long time.

As for food costs- do you eat out or cook? If you cook, you'll be in heaven- SF (and the Bay Area) is filled with farmers markets scattered around the city. I've been feeding the two of us for as little as $25 for a week & still eating good by using staples we always keep on hand & cooking. It's also foodie heaven- you can get all those exotic little things you've always wanted to try.

Restaurants can cost you anywhere from $3.50 for an amazing sandwich at Saigon Sandwich in the Tenderloin to several hundred dollars at one of the fancy places.

As for public transit: I haven't owned a car since 1991, which is also the last year I had a drivers license. Never need it here. I can cab from the Bay to the beach for $20 if needed, I can bus the same for $2. The whole city is only 49 square miles, it's not large even though it can feel like it. I can get from my house near downtown to the East Bay to visit Fishy in about 45 minutes (bus + BART).

Plus, like BBS says, it can be cheaper in the East Bay than in SF itself. Just take into account commute time. If you're within walking distance of BART your set.

You can ask me questions as well- I think with the new set up you can ask both of us at the same time. If you come to check it out I'm more than happy to spend some time showing you around!

Note: if you move cross country make sure you have a contract in hand with a severance package set up! I had a friend get screwed on that when his company moved him, then made his position redundant & laid him off 6 months later.

[MisaBlue]

When I was curious about this, my friend told me that I would need to earn 4000/month.
I dont know if thats true and actually would like to ask about it:)

thanks C.f.M for this thread

[TomServo]

The East Bay is a bit cheaper, depending on location. I lived in Oakland fairly cheap. I love S.F., but would Never live there! BART is a lot more now, but then so are the bridge tolls.

[Bounce530]

The rent control there is really something..I had a customer that would reverse commute due to his rent controlled home. He'd MUNI from the Sunset dist. to Lake Marit area of Oakland cause it was cheaper for him to live in the city than in the east bay.

While I have never "lived" in SF, $4000/month is what I figured when thinking about this question.

And on the topic of cheap food, man, I don't know why, but damn, I loved the cheese burgers from (don't get too fouled out here) Whiz Burger on Mission and 16th.

[Eric]

When I was curious about this, my friend told me that I would need to earn 4000/month.

Only if you plan to live alone & drive a car, and even then that's high. Between my unemployment & The Boyfriends job we bring in well under 3500 a month- for two people. Not gonna lie- life is a bit tough for us right now & we've cut out a whole lot of "extra's" that we would like to have back, but it is doable, if a little bit heart-thumping while trying to live paycheck to paycheck with no cushion.

If you're sharing flat with others (extremely common) your rent can start as "low" as $700-$800 and go up from there. You can even get studio's (everything in one room except the bathroom) and one bedrooms starting as low as that, though maybe not in the best neighborhoods.

To live comfortably but not excessively "rich" you could make as little as $2000, depending on your living situation. I have friends who live on less than that.

Bounce- not a big Whizburger fan- I'm a Grubsteak boy (Pine btwn Polk & Van Ness)

[MisaBlue]

Eric, thank you!!! That brings whole new ideas in my head.

[Savannah]

If I'm trying to figure out if I can afford to live somewhere I start with rent because it's the largest chunk of $$ and if I can afford that I can finagle the rest.

I dig this Studio on Nob Hill. $1,300. Nice floors.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/apa/2467194183.html

I stayed with a friend in that neighborhood and liked it quite a lot. He was paying $100 less for the same kind of place, but it was some years ago.

[MisaBlue]

Savannah that is beautiful!!!

[Savannah]

Well, it's not mine, but I would totally aim for it if I were to move to San Francisco!

Or the very place my friend lived in. You could see the green neon sign of an ancient massage parlor from the big windows. It was very atmospheric. Weirdly noir.

[Eric]

I dig this Studio on Nob Hill. $1,300. Nice floors.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/apa/2467194183.html

That studio is on the edge of a sketchy neighborhood (or inside it, depending on perspective). Lots of homeless, lots of screaming, lots of drunks.

However, some of my favorite really good cheap restaurants are within 6 blocks all around it: Thai House Express, Saigon Sandwich, Borobudur, Sai Jai, Golden Era, Dottie's True Blue Cafe, Shalimar, Brenda's...

[mudpuppy000]

I've lived alone for over ten years, in a house I own...I anticipate roomates but would do my darndest to avoid them. Crazy old cat ladies need their space.

Ohh cats just make it even more of a pain in the ass to find an apartment, at least here in LA.

[illy dilly]

If I'm trying to figure out if I can afford to live somewhere I start with rent because it's the largest chunk of $$ and if I can afford that I can finagle the rest.

I dig this Studio on Nob Hill. $1,300. Nice floors.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/apa/2467194183.html

I stayed with a friend in that neighborhood and liked it quite a lot. He was paying $100 less for the same kind of place, but it was some years ago.

HOLY SHIT!
That much for a 1 bedroom!
Is Nob Hill like the fancy nicest part of town?

[Eric]

If I'm trying to figure out if I can afford to live somewhere I start with rent because it's the largest chunk of $$ and if I can afford that I can finagle the rest.

I dig this Studio on Nob Hill. $1,300. Nice floors.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/apa/2467194183.html

I stayed with a friend in that neighborhood and liked it quite a lot. He was paying $100 less for the same kind of place, but it was some years ago.

HOLY SHIT!
That much for a 1 bedroom!
Is Nob Hill like the fancy nicest part of town?

Not a one bedroom, a studio. A studio is smaller- basically one room + a bathroom and usually with a separate kitchen as well. Without a separate kitchen they usually call them "efficiencies".

Nob Hill is a nice neighborhood. That studio isn't in Nob Hill, it's in the Tenderloin

[maryanimal]

I've lived alone for over ten years, in a house I own...I anticipate roomates but would do my darndest to avoid them. Crazy old cat ladies need their space.

Hey! I'm a crazy old cat lady too! sistah!

[maryanimal]

The East Bay is a bit cheaper, depending on location. I lived in Oakland fairly cheap. I love S.F., but would Never live there! BART is a lot more now, but then so are the bridge tolls.

Since when did you start loving SF?

[Savannah]

I liked the Tenderloin. And Nob Hill! It didn't seem that rough, but I don't scare easily.

Man, in Seattle, $1,200 can get you a 2BR with a balcony, view of downtown and the Space Needle. $2,100 and you're in a swanky place on the waterfront on the 11th floor (again with balcony) and suddenly all your relatives want to visit. These are my friends' recent examples.

Hm. I need a raise.

[mdmf007]

Other options to live in city include a boat - sounds unrealistic but a mate of mine lives on a sailboat for 600 a month moorage several hundred yards from a bart station. He rols around on a Vespa and loves life.

Comfortable boats can be had for as little as 20k. Loans available as well.

just an idea.

[Eric]

I liked the Tenderloin. And Nob Hill! It didn't seem that rough, but I don't scare easily.

Man, in Seattle, $1,200 can get you a 2BR with a balcony, view of downtown and the Space Needle. $2,100 and you're in a swanky place on the waterfront on the 11th floor (again with balcony) and suddenly all your relatives want to visit. These are my friends' recent examples.

Hm. I need a raise.

Tenderloin doesn't bug me much (I usually avoid the heart of it & the area around 6th St- Skid Row), there's actually some great restaurants in that area and I walk through it regularly. If you're not used to SF homeless however... lets just say they're their own "special" breed of crazy & obnoxious and it can be overwhelming for visitors or new residents. Sometimes even for those of us who live here.

My favorite part of living here is that I can walk almost everywhere- I regularly walk down to the Mission, which is about 45 minutes from here. The northern tourist waterfront is about a 20-25 minute walk, to get to the Ferry Building is about 45 minutes. I can bus if I'd rather read.

My apartment at current market rate would probably be close to $1800 (twice what we're paying), two bedrooms are ridiculous. When we moved here 20 years ago our apartment was $700 market rate, we tried to negotiate a two bedroom in the building down to $850 but he wanted $950 and we couldn't do it. Le sigh. Now its about $2400.

[gyre]

They're talking about a bedsit, when they say efficiency.


Watch the Mission Hill series over and over to prepare.

[Minxy]

I'm betting Cfm is wishing/hoping/has heard a smidge of something from the BMorg about that office job, perhaps?

I live in Vallejo which is just a ferry ride away from SF. MUCH cheaper to live and easy to get to "the City" (always makes me laugh that people call it that) if you don't mind sitting on your rump on a ferry for an hour. There isn't anything particularly exciting about living in Vallejo other than it's less expensive. There aren't any great restaurants or shops, etc...but you ARE about 30-40 min away from all that so it's fine.

[C187]

I just happened to think. What if everyone looking for a place got together before or after the event, and looked together. A brilliant idea, or my opening statement to the judge come homicide trial. Regardless, the information posted so far as been priceless.

[C.f.M.]

I'm betting Cfm is wishing/hoping/has heard a smidge of something from the BMorg about that office job, perhaps?

I live in Vallejo which is just a ferry ride away from SF. MUCH cheaper to live and easy to get to "the City" (always makes me laugh that people call it that) if you don't mind sitting on your rump on a ferry for an hour. There isn't anything particularly exciting about living in Vallejo other than it's less expensive. There aren't any great restaurants or shops, etc...but you ARE about 30-40 min away from all that so it's fine.

C'est vrait, ma amie! I have little hopes for it, as I fear I lack the tech skills they need (the only thing worse than being a secretary is being a secretary without up-to-date office software skills because you've been working in tiny backwards offices for the past ten years).

I might look into buying again, if I moved. Cheaper, investment, etc. Housing is my main concern when it comes to moving there - something I've slowly been trying to figure out for years, now. I'm quite experienced at being poor. Sawdust toilets and table diving. Nowadays, they call it "freegan."

And yes, Eric, the produce and food porn is at the top of my list of reasons to live there. Though, I honestly have it very good here, too, when it comes to being able to get nearly everything (dairy to meat to produce to eggs) local and cheap.