It's not about how much you make, it's about how much you save and the cost of living. An article could also be published about how the average US wage is 5x t

It's not about how much you make, it's about how much you save and the cost of living. An article could also be published about how the average US wage is 5x the wages in another country. What would that mean? Nothing by itself. What matters is this, after your expenses how much do you have saved? How long will what you save a month last you if you were out of work? How long will you be able to find a replacement job? What options do you have in moving to a cheaper place? What lifestyle do you get to experience by being in a particular environment? All that matters. I get Silicon Valley envy from time to time, spoke to my buddy who moved and use to have a 5-10minute commute. Now he has a 2hr one way commute since he's trying to save money. Yet his rent is 50% more. I doubt he's saving more. He keeps trying to serenade me to move. I run the numbers, and I would have to make a whole lotta money for SV to be worth it. :-(