The challenge with moving to another country is that you have to get the requisite visa and immigration, not to mention the cost of movement every time you want

The challenge with moving to another country is that you have to get the requisite visa and immigration, not to mention the cost of movement every time you want to visit the US. With States, there are open borders, which brings movement costs down considerably. > But maybe people have preferences of what they want in life As with everything in life, there are tradeoffs. If someone is so wedded to the idea of living in the Bay Area or New York City, then they should accept the reality that a low six-figure salary won't get them very far in terms of material benefits and creature comforts. In return, they get trendy brunch places, awesome dim sum, and proximity to Hamilton. You're right that if people prefer that, it's their prerogative, but they also can't come back and complain that they can't afford a nice big house and maybe a little more disposable income like their peers in Iowa. Ideally, these cities do more to construct housing to meet their demand, but as long as that's not happening, this is a very real tradeoff that every rational person needs to make; especially those that are privileged enough to earn $100k+ per year. I chose to live in New York City, and fully accept all the upsides and downsides of my decision.