How much is cost of living in your area?

jcr85

Manhattan... I pay $1600 for my one bedroom in SoHo and probably end up paying closer to $2000 after I pay all my living expenses but its totally worth it.

cdngirl71

I live in the Greater Vancouver area (Canada) and cost of living ranges. The further east you go the cheaper it is. Rent in Vancouver for a 1 bedroom ranges from $800-$2000 depending on the area you want. To buy a place and a decent one starts at about $190,000 for a 500 sq foot apartment where I live. 2 bedroom will be way over the $230,000. Price for gas here is $1.22 a litre. Minimum wage here is $9.75 I believe. Plus in BC we are the most taxed province in Canada. But I wouldn't live anywhere else. My mortgage is $572 plus pay strata fees,car payment, visa and student loan but also have money left over for savings. I make pretty good money with the company I work for so that helps. Would like to move into something bigger but the housing prices are way too high for one person to pay for.

jillybeanruns

Right outside of Boston you'll pay about $1000 a month for a one bedroom. The average cost for a home in this area is about 300K and that is for a 50 year old ranch and needs major updating.

Not sure how I do it on a waitress salary but I make it work. We live frugally and don't have expensive "extras". We have pay as you go cell phones, still have dial-up internet at home (gasp), have basic cable with a few extras like HGTV and only take one vacation a year.

I think the average income in my area is about 50K per person. I'm below that but my husband is above. I don't even want to tell you what we pay for a morgage. Bleh!!!

Wow, I thought Boston was priced like the Bay Area. That is looking downright cheap in comparison.

Boston is, but "right outside Boston" is a very subjective term. And in Boston proper, you won't be a studio for under $1400. And median home price is probably closer to $500-$550K.

Rayman79

Everything is expensive in Australia... as I keep hearing from all the Americans we have visiting or moving here

One was particularly outraged at the price of food and, well, just about everything, especially bowling of all things ($10-15 a game + shoe hire is very excessive apparently)

I am in one of the more reasonably priced cities, but average house prices here are over $400,000 (remembering this is an average suburban 3br house), and that the Australian dollar is worth more than the USD at the moment too... The sad thing is that the more expensive cities are about 50% more than this!

We are about to build a new house - sadly at a price tag of over $650,000 :grumble:

RaeLB

apparently the average household expenditures in Toronto are ~$75,000
I live in the second most expensive city to live in in Canada
It depends what area in the city you live in, the prices vary greatly for apartments! My sister lived in one of the cheaper areas and her 1 bedroom was $800 + utilities. Downtown you're looking $1000+ for one bedroom.

ProjectTae

450$ for a one bedroom?? I need to live there 1 bedrooms here are 1000$ plus! (Southern Cali)

Nerple

... and small 1 bedroom apartments are about $450 in my area...

$450 that'll hardly even get you a parking space in Manhattan...

Parking in Manhattan has to be more expensive than that. When I lived in Beacon Hill (downtown Boston) 10 years ago, parking behind my building was $800/month and that was only for the 7pm to 7am shift. They sold the other shift for more to local business owners. And the parking spots were small and half of them were difficult to get into.

Kori18

I go to school and got a good scholarship and live at home. I work part-time to pay for gas. So life is good for the next 2 1/2 years (;

Iamkim73

We live in Nor Cal and out rent is close to $1,600 for a 2 bed room duplex. Although the utilities are included in that.
And my hubby is Military so our BAH pays for it. But I have no idea how civilians live around here. If it weren't for
him being in the Military there is no way we would be able to afford this area.

I live in the same area as you and 1600 is on the low side for a 2 bedroom. It is expensive for sure!

dizzycoolbabe

It's funny when people in the US mention that their gas is highly priced because here in the UK it's ridiculous! A couple years ago I worked out that we probably pay the equivalent of $8 per gallon for our fuel (we call it petrol here ) It's probably more now *sigh*

jadedone

I live in the expensive Bay Area. Sometimes I think NYC is cheaper. Well at least the NYC suburbs seem cheaper than the Bay Area ones.

I live in Oakland. Oakland is a bit cheaper than some places in the Bay Area, but it isn't all that cheap. I have a super cheap studio apartment. I pay $900 a month and I live in a middle-upper middle class part of town. Since the apartments in the area are a little older, they tend to be a little cheaper than the new ones in town. Transit is pretty good but my neighborhood is about 1 mile from the subway, so that detracts from the rental costs by about 10-20%. If I wanted to live in a similar quality apartment in a similar level of neighborhood in SF, I'd need to pay $1800 or so.

To get a let's say 1800 square foot home in a middle class Oakland neighborhood is about $500K. It will be a fixer or need some updates. To live in a "posher" area in Oakland, that same house is from $650-$850K. If you need the same house in a neighborhood with a view or in and affluent area of the hills, tack on an additional $200k. Parents who can afford it send their kids to private school or move once the kids get to middle school. For people who want access to Oakland amenities, they move to suburbs like Alameda, Albany and Piedmont. That 1800 sqft home in the two towns that start with A are around $650k. To live in posh Piedmont, you need about $1.1M. Houses less than $1M are rare in Piedmont and have huge problems if they popup.

Suburbs aren't much cheaper, if you want to live in a semi-far out suburb with mediocre schools, that 1800 sqft home is around $350k. If you live really far out (i.e. around 50 miles from SF) you can find that house for $150k, but you will pay for it with commute time and traffic. If you want to live in a reasonably central suburb with good schools, it'll cost you about $600k. Around $400k if you can live with a townhouse. If you want to live in the hood, you can get a "deal" the same house is "only" about $200k -- and don't worry you'll find drug dealers nearby.

Food costs are a little more expensive in CA, gas is pretty expensive. And you'd think with all of the expensive real estate, incomes would be high. But not really. The median income is around $70k. Based on common ratios that means you cold afford a home that costs $250-$280k. Something doesn't really add up does it.

I've got friends with a household income of $200K who live in 2 bedroom apartments or condos so they don't get overextended. Even though I am in my 30s, I only have 4 friends in my local circle that own property. One of them has rental income from a property in a lower cost metro area -- they don't live in the home they own. One bought her first place, a condo at age 44. The other 2 are those $200K couples. One got help from their parents to cover the down payment (they live in a high end neighborhood).

jadedone

I live in the Charleston area and rent is $950 (utilities not included) for my 660 square foot apartment. I pay more than most for rent, but I refuse to live in a dodgy area. I also make more than the median income for a family unit in the town I live in as a single woman, so I am okay with paying a higher rent and can afford it.

It amazes me Charleston is so expensive. I always think I'll move there when I am priced out of the Bay Area, but downtown Charleston real estate is the same price as it is here!

jadedone

Manhattan... I pay $1600 for my one bedroom in SoHo and probably end up paying closer to $2000 after I pay all my living expenses but its totally worth it.

Hmm, that's not as bad as I wold think. You must have rent control!

jillybeanruns

I live in the Charleston area and rent is $950 (utilities not included) for my 660 square foot apartment. I pay more than most for rent, but I refuse to live in a dodgy area. I also make more than the median income for a family unit in the town I live in as a single woman, so I am okay with paying a higher rent and can afford it.

It amazes me Charleston is so expensive. I always think I'll move there when I am priced out of the Bay Area, but downtown Charleston real estate is the same price as it is here!

Oh God, DON'T move here. I just moved here last summer and I'm trying to get the hell out. Was looking at living in downtown, but the places were just not good quality and the rent you pay for some of the places was absurd for what you got, plus there is/was a crazy arsonist randomly burning down apartments downtown when I was looking, so that was a big deterrent as well. I live over the bridge in Mt. Pleasant, mostly because it's safer, nicer and a very active community. But I'm from Boston, I love the Northeast and the Southeast just does not do it for me. And don't get me started on "Southern Hospitality"

Nerple

I live in the Charleston area and rent is $950 (utilities not included) for my 660 square foot apartment. I pay more than most for rent, but I refuse to live in a dodgy area. I also make more than the median income for a family unit in the town I live in as a single woman, so I am okay with paying a higher rent and can afford it.

It amazes me Charleston is so expensive. I always think I'll move there when I am priced out of the Bay Area, but downtown Charleston real estate is the same price as it is here!

Oh God, DON'T move here. I just moved here last summer and I'm trying to get the hell out. Was looking at living in downtown, but the places were just not good quality and the rent you pay for some of the places was absurd for what you got, plus there is/was a crazy arsonist randomly burning down apartments downtown when I was looking, so that was a big deterrent as well. I live over the bridge in Mt. Pleasant, mostly because it's safer, nicer and a very active community. But I'm from Boston, I love the Northeast and the Southeast just does not do it for me. And don't get me started on "Southern Hospitality"

But would you suggest Charleston as a place to visit? Spending some time down in the area and was thinking of doing a weekend in Charleston soon.

Ocarina

I make $25,000 a year taking care of people with disabilities and I paid $700 a month for a 225 square foot studio with a small yard. We don't have big apartment buildings here. A 2 bedroom house is around $1200 plus utilities. I'm blessed to now rent the downstairs of a 2 family house from my parents for $400 a month. I'd have to move away if I didn't have this.

Cape Cod, Mass.

Wow yeah. The Cape is EXPENSIVE! I have family that lives in Orleans, MA and I hear its just outrageous. Beautiful area though! Absolutely love visiting out there.

vs1023

We came from NJ where the COL was pretty high. Our small ranch home (2000sq feet) was aorund 330K with taxes that were $7200/year for less than a 1/4 of an acre in a very congested area, though it was a nice suburb in central NJ.

We moved to the Raleigh area where we got a house that is over 3000sq feet, still very small land, but cost less than 279K at the time. We were fortunate to bring our NJ salaries with us and we work from home. We love where we live and it's less stressful, less traffic and fewer people.

I also once lived in Brooklyn, NY, but that was with my mom and back then it was rent controlled. I'm thinking if i remember it was around 600/month for a 2BR apartment. About a 20 min train ride to Manhattan.

garlic7girl

I am the Washington DC Metro area and the cost of living is ridiculous. When I go back home to Ohio and see prices I am like ugh! The draw back is there are minimal to no jobs back home. So everyone despite low cost of living are struggling!
The way food gas etc has gone up it makes me want to scream esp when we just got a $50 buck raise after 3 1/2 years of no cost of living raise. Sad part is I pay a mortgage for what some folk pay for a average no frills apartment in No Virginia and DC is just insane with rent.

ActorGirl1476

I live in NYC.

It's beyond ridiculous, but worth every penny to live here, in my humble opinion.

To be more specific. I have paid 875 NOT including utilities to rent a room in Brooklyn in a 5 floor walk up which had bugs and creaky floors.

jadedone

I live in the Charleston area and rent is $950 (utilities not included) for my 660 square foot apartment. I pay more than most for rent, but I refuse to live in a dodgy area. I also make more than the median income for a family unit in the town I live in as a single woman, so I am okay with paying a higher rent and can afford it.

It amazes me Charleston is so expensive. I always think I'll move there when I am priced out of the Bay Area, but downtown Charleston real estate is the same price as it is here!

Oh God, DON'T move here. I just moved here last summer and I'm trying to get the hell out. Was looking at living in downtown, but the places were just not good quality and the rent you pay for some of the places was absurd for what you got, plus there is/was a crazy arsonist randomly burning down apartments downtown when I was looking, so that was a big deterrent as well. I live over the bridge in Mt. Pleasant, mostly because it's safer, nicer and a very active community. But I'm from Boston, I love the Northeast and the Southeast just does not do it for me. And don't get me started on "Southern Hospitality"

But would you suggest Charleston as a place to visit? Spending some time down in the area and was thinking of doing a weekend in Charleston soon.

Definitely. I love Charleston. The waterfront park is great...check out the chair swings. There is so much to walk to downtown as well. And of course you can get some american history in at the plantations and in the downtown architecture. Last time I went we did a ghost tour, it was a blast. HAven't made it to the tea plantation yet, but that's on the list for my next visit.