*not accounting for taxes. Or gas prices. On a day I paid, $4.10 in South San Francisco, that same day it was $2.60 in San Antonio. Even if you took public tran

*not accounting for taxes. Or gas prices. On a day I paid, $4.10 in South San Francisco, that same day it was $2.60 in San Antonio. Even if you took public transit, that costs money too. Sales tax in Berkeley is 9.25%. I live in Mountain View and little things definitely cost more. At a restaurant the other day, I paid 5% “to account for increased labor costs.” I am happy living in Mountain View now (I grew up in Houston,) but if it weren’t for a substantial salary and stock, I could see how anyone with a family would run for cheaper pastures. Housing isn’t the only thing more expensive in the Bay Area. When you ran those housing cost numbers, that automatically took into account property taxes, now add 5-9% for California income taxes, and it starts to become a significant amount of money on just that basis alone. Add in every other California and local tax and the difference becomes even more pronounced. Texas is ranked 33 on overall tax burden while California is 10. Additionally higher Bay Area salaries also often kick people into a higher federal bracket as well. There is no cost of living adjustment for federal taxes — or state taxes for that matter.