Averages aren't really representative - even in SF there is a very, very wide variance between a crappy run-down studio in an undesirable neighborhood vs. a lux

Averages aren't really representative - even in SF there is a very, very wide variance between a crappy run-down studio in an undesirable neighborhood vs. a luxury condo in the hottest neighborhoods. The average is really just tossing those two in a blender and hitting the "puree" button. Likewise, there are still cheap places to live in Oakland, even if the average is high (and rising). Also, there are places further out of Oakland that are still relatively inexpensive. In any case, the "typical rent" on a SF/Oakland apartment already affords a lifestyle more luxurious than most people in this country ever experience, which is why IMO aetherson is right in calling it "Oh poor well-paid me". This meme that 6-figure incomes in the Bay Area is "break even" is a special kind of myopic: "Oh dearie me, I'm making 6-figures, enjoying quality of life way higher than is typical for my country, but I'm just breaking even!"