You said that your only goal is financial independence. I've never lived in either NYC or Sparks, so I can't give you numbers. However, assuming you make $120k

You said that your only goal is financial independence. I've never lived in either NYC or Sparks, so I can't give you numbers. However, assuming you make $120k a year forever, how many years are you away from financial independence in NYC? How about in Sparks? The cost of living in Sparks is likely significantly lower, so if all else stays equal, you'd get closer to your goal faster if you were there. That said, all else is not equal. How would you and your girlfriend deal with the climate in Sparks? What about art and culture? What if you have trouble making friends in Sparks? Personally, I would rather be broke and happy than rich and miserable. But there's another side. If you're unhappy and have $$$$$ in the bank, the temptation will be to travel all the time. Heck, spending every second weekend in San Francisco will quickly eat up the cost of living difference between NYC and Sparks. If you go, rent first. I've moved around quite a bit and am a firm believer that it's a bad idea to buy until you've been somewhere for a year. The alternative is to end up in a horrible neighbourhood...