Currently I live in Madison Wisconsin. I am thinking of relocating to one of the following areas: Rockridge/Berkeley/Piedmont (or Lake Merritt). I would WORK in San Fran in the I.T. industry, but live in the aforementioned area.
Currenly I make about $38k/year in Madison.
My rent is $500/month for a studio
My car payment is $350/month.
(plus some other small bills and living expenses - cable, internet, etc).
I do really well on this wage in Madison. By the time I relocate to East Bay, my car will be paid off, freeing up the $350/month.
I plan to find a bigger studio apartment in one of these areas and continue working in I.T. in San Fran.
Can someone tell me how the 2 wages would compare, and if I would be able to afford what I am planning to do? Keep in mind that I will have an extra $350/month to spend by the time I'm there.
Is my plan feasible?
2006-10-18 09:58:54 · 6 answers · asked by lunalioness 2 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ San Francisco
P.S. I am already all over Craigslist every day. This is where I am finding listings for studios in these areas for $750 and under.
2006-10-19 05:49:31 · update #1
Cost of living will be higher in California. Biggest hit will be rent for a place to live. On the other hand, wages for many jobs tend to be higher due to the higher cost of living. Best advice is to search for a job that affords you the money to live at the level you do at the present time.
Good luck with your move.
2006-10-22 09:35:07 · answer #1 · answered by exbuilder 7 · 9⤊ 0⤋
Go to http://www.trulia.com/property/ and look up both apartment and house prices for the areas you are interested in. The Piedmont ZIP = 94611
Be prepared for a shock...the areas you mention are among the highest cost areas in the East Bay. Apartments along Lake Merritt are among the most expensive...up to over $3,000 per month.
I presume your income will at least double when you leave Madison for here. If not, be prepared for a downturn in your quality of life after you move.
Is your plan feasible, probably, but is it desirable...that's the real issue.
2006-10-19 06:01:04 · answer #2 · answered by oldprof 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all, expect to pay much more for rent. The area you speak of is very safe, clean and quite diverse. great public transit to SF, however the rents will be pricey. Start looking at Craigslist now and you can get a good idea of rents for a Studio.(1000.00)
Also, look at bajobs.com for employment openings. The job market has slowed dramatically in the hi-tech. (GOOGLE and YAHOO are not in SF, and they get thousands of job applicants everyday) These days its all about Bio-tech. Look for openings at Chiron, Novartis, Amgen,Bayer,etc. Health care also has thousands of jobs in the Bay area, Start by looking at Kaiser Hospital. (www.kp.org)You would have more opportunities in those companies. Public Transit does a great job of linking the cities in the Bay area, so don't worry about getting around. I only use my car on the weekends.
Good Luck
2006-10-19 05:20:50 · answer #3 · answered by LJRobbie 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's a good thing you'll have the extra $350. Rent will be substantially higher.
Check here
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/apa/
Look for (oakland north / temescal), (oakland lake merritt / grand), (oakland piedmont / montclair), (oakland rockridge / claremont) and any of the Berkeley lisitings.
2006-10-18 18:56:40 · answer #4 · answered by larpmanx 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My in basic terms suggestion is which you progression to a distinctive section. it is extra ordinary pronounced than accomplished, yet once you reside there then, you will in basic terms be ridiculed extra. i think of you have accomplished all you could, till you ask the mayor to call a city assembly & maximum in all probability you would be waiting to describe what has been occurring & maybe which will stop the harassment. If that would not artwork then I recommend you progression someplace you would be regularly used. uncertain in case you could desire to try this, in my section.. there could be no longer something extra to do than to pass faraway from all this. stable luck
2016-10-19 23:07:19 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You will probably need twice your current income to maintain the same standard of living.
In addition to rents being higher (and they are), you will find gas, car insurance, utilities, food, transportation, dining and other expenses to be considerably more, as well.
2006-10-20 08:19:43 · answer #6 · answered by kentata 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋