Is the Bay Area worth living in for a few years?

[DieAntword]

Husband is looking at changing jobs. He’s in tech so when I suggested he don’t just look at the UK lots of stuff in the Bay Area obviously came up.

Costs of living there are pretty bad but we think he could get enough pay to manage at least looking at job titles equivalent to his current one (and ceirtainly wouldn’t relocate if he wouldn’t).

What’s it like living there though? What things is it important to consider moving there from the UK?

Ultimately I don’t think I’d like to live there forever just a couple of years maybe and then either come back to the UK or try somewhere else (I really like the idea of doing two year stints in various countries, exposing the kids to a bunch of different cultures and seeing the world). Does that change anything about how we should approach things? We’ve never tried living abroad before.

Stupomax it was five years ago. I worked for a big company and that seems to help.

Ah - yes, actually I had a similar deal five years ago. Premiums at the same company have changed a fair bit since then, although the bigger change is that companies are pushing up deductibles and pushing out-of-pocket costs onto employees.

The cost of a company sponsored medical plan with family coverage is now about $20k, with employees paying about 30% and with deductibles and copays up substantially.

money.cnn.com/2018/10/03/news/economy/employer-health-insurance-cost/index.html

120k for a tech job out there is really low. I'd be considering whether the transfer is feasible (even from his current company) as they're cracking down, especially in technology, on overseas transfers and visa applicants

On top of the cost of living, I'd also think about factoring it what you need to set aside per year for trips home - either planned or unforeseen (UK family illness, occasions etc) and it sounds like your close to family - its a huge step to move away from a support system, and one I'd be mulling over a lot

The average rent in San Jose for a 2 bed flat is $3200 per month. Housing is so tight that you have to meet income requirements and would barely meet these at $120k. You’d be very hard pressed to afford an actual house, especially in any decent neighborhood. Traffic is an unmitigated nightmare. I know people who do 2+ hour commutes each way daily and I live in a desirable, close to SF city. Public transit is a joke here and most people who do take the train drive to the station anyway. Although, the big tech companies do run their own private coaches, but they also aren’t always known for good work/life balance. We’ve recently come back after a few years away and it has gotten dirtier, more crowded, less safe feeling and astronomically more expensive. California has a lot to offer, but at a cost.

It's really, really expensive and commutes can be really long. Spouses rarely can work on business sponsored visas so factor that in too. On the positive tax is less depending on the state - personal allowances can be added together as you file as a family unit and even children have a personal tax allowance, plus there is child tax credit on top (it's been quite a few years so do check up on this in case they have changed the rules but we paid just a few hundred $ a year on an income of $60k). Getting set up is even more expensive than the U.K. needing first and last months rent on top of a deposit and rentals are unfurnished, but everyone sells their unwanted stuff so it's easy to pick up cheap second hand to get yourselves going - he went on ahead of me for 3 months whilst I stayed with my parents. Factor in everything costs more, food is 1/3 more expensive, kids activities twice what we pay, you even have to send into schools supplies like crayons and tissues, you need to earn at least 20% more than London I would think. CA is one of the most expensive places to live but it is really nice, you will need to drive, but the Bay Area does have some public transport so hopefully can get away with one car - escaping the city by just a few miles and there's beautiful wilderness and skiing in the winter. Good luck!

We did this 2 years ago, well 3.5 if you factor in the time my OH had to work for A before moving to the Bay Area

OH is on an L1 visa and I work on my L2 visa with an employment card.

I can only reiterate what everyone else said re the cost of living here. As a family you won't survive on a salary of $120k, that really is very low for this area. Bear in mind that cleaners are paid about $35 per hour and so are nannys can be up to $50 per hour for a good one.

We rent a reasonably nice house in San Jose (they are few and far between) and we pay over $5k a month for that. We then have electric, water and internet costs, which are another $250 - $300 per month.

Then there are car costs. Whilst fuel is cheaper, insurance is more expensive and you will probably lease a car. Depending on what type of car, this will be at least $500 per month, per car including insurance.

Food is another matter. There are 2 of us and we easily spend $800 to $1,000 per month on groceries and toiletries, without the money we spend eating out. There is a real culture here for eating out, but again, it is expensive.

Health care is something else to consider. A have a great package that you would need to join and is taken from your wages monthly. Then you have co pays that are on top and for every visit to a doctor, etc. I had to have some surgery this year and for 2 of us so far we have spent over $10,000 this year out of pocket.

We don't have children, so cannot comment on how expensive after school clubs, etc are, but my friends who have children say everything is very expensive, much more so than in the UK.

Saying all of that, it is an interesting place to live. Within 45 minutes we can be at the beach, 25 minutes and we are driving through the mountains. The weather is lovely a lot of the time. There is no real gun crime unless you live in a dodgy area. Also it's odd as a lot of people, even Americans, moved here for work, so don't have family close by.

A couple of final points - 1. Don't underestimate the costs, everything here really is crazy expensive ! 2. Remember to factor in the cost of trips home. 3. Don't underestimate the time difference and the loneliness you will feel for the first year or so.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Careful! We initially came to the Bay Area on a 2-year plan and have now been here 10. It's certainly true what people say about the costs - we pull in a lot more than $120k and are still in a rented 2-bedroom (family of 4) - husband commutes 2 hours each way, and I commute an hour. If we still lived in England we'd be in a house by now.
I love the Bay Area - id definitely recommend it for a short time. Working at a big tech company is certainly possible if your husband has the skills. Just keep your eyes open. Crime and guns aren't a worry (except in East Palo Alto) but house prices, traffic, and trump are real!

I grew up in Palo Alto, and can only comment that it's a lovely place to raise children. Amazing clean air and mild weather, access to nature, great programs at public libraries, outstanding public (govt) schools, access to good after-school activities. My cousin grew up in Cupertino and currently lives with her three primary-aged kids in Santa Clara, and she too has access to amazing public schools/activities/ experiences for her kids, although the weather is a bit warmer than in Palo Alto. The East Bay generally has much warmer weather than Redwood City/ Palo Alto.