Speaking as a SF local for over ten years. LA is huge, you have to drive everywhere, and software scene is much more fragmented there. On the other hand it's h

Speaking as a SF local for over ten years. LA is huge, you have to drive everywhere, and software scene is much more fragmented there. On the other hand it's hot and sunny (if you like that kind of thing). SF is small, has decent public transport, great food, great music scene, beautiful nature, and you can get by without a car, or sharing a single car with your fiancée. I definitely recommend SF/Bay Area. Huge tech scene, very easy to find software development work or freelance. There was a good thread with comments about cost of living around different parts of the Bay Area recently - http://news.ycombinator.com/item?aid=1824445 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?aid=1824445 Before you decide one way or another, it might be a good idea to come and visit both places for a week or so and see which place feels better. You can grab a place on AirBnB cheaply or couchsurfing.org for free, should give you a chance to look around.