Firstly, it goes fast in SF. $3500 a month for a 1 bedroom is more realistic, unless one wants a >45minute commute (just checked with padmapper). Food ($350/mo)

Firstly, it goes fast in SF. $3500 a month for a 1 bedroom is more realistic, unless one wants a >45minute commute (just checked with padmapper). Food ($350/mo), fun money($160 per month), clothes($50 per month), haircuts($30 per month), utilities($150 per month), healthcare copays, transit and other random crap probably eats $1k. Someone saving for retirement should roughly put $1k a month away (makes about $80k a year retirement income). So now we have $500 a month left for things like saving for a house, ring, wedding, visiting family once a year, maybe buying a car or a trip somewhere. So yes, of course, its livable but certainly not as intense as you've put it. ("such bull crap"... "just bad with money") Secondly. The marginal price on a room is about $1000 so if you perchance want to have a family then you're looking at more like $4k- $4500 for your rent. Everything is more expensive in SF as well, not just your rent. My bias is that I do not consider it a healthy society if a couple couldnt have a family of 2 (roughly replacement) on 1-1.5 incomes (some blend of parents have some time off to raise the kids) . End result: $6k a month after taxes (roughly $110k before) is enough such that you still have to make sacrifices, either live far away (1 hr commute each way), live in a terrible place (tenderloin), have roommates or give up on a family.