One thing I never see taken into account besides what you mentioned is the Cali state income tax. I live and work in a state with no state income tax and that l

One thing I never see taken into account besides what you mentioned is the Cali state income tax. I live and work in a state with no state income tax and that lops off a good 7-10% in salary discrepancies before even starting to discuss housing and the like. COLA calculators are pretty good at highlighting this. Last time I punched my numbers into one it looked as if I would have to just about double my salary to have the same QOL in Bay Area. The one upside to Bay Area salary vs cost of living that is worth considering, especially earlier in your career, is that it significantly weakens the purchasing power of fixed cost loans like student loans and vehicles. It would probably make a lot more financial sense to take a mild hit in QOL and higher salary if one has a lot of student loans or wants a nicer car.