The idea that the cost of living in major cities makes such a huge difference is practically a meme, at this point. 300k in LA gets you ~180k after taxes (unma

The idea that the cost of living in major cities makes such a huge difference is practically a meme, at this point. 300k in LA gets you ~180k after taxes (unmarried, no deductions), compared to ~109k from 150k in Dallas. Let me reassure you that life in LA is not anywhere near 70k/year more expensive than life in Dallas, for the majority of plausible life circumstances. I live in LA and don't even come close to spending 70k/year (minus charitable donations, which are obviously location-agnostic), and I'm not exactly pinching pennies. Obviously there are some pretty specific lifestyle choices which are much more expensive in places in LA (or SF, or NY, or whatever), like "buying a large house in a nice part of town", which, sure? You can always find some set of preferences that are expensive to satisfy. But most people are going to come out ahead taking the 300k in LA. Some people do pack up and take off as soon as they hit their number. Some people enjoy what they do, and the money isn't really a motivating factor. I have some acquaintances in the Bay Area who are well into their 60s but continue working in tech despite being able to retire several times over because they like it. I plan on being financially independent by 40 but I don't expect that I'll spend my days sitting on the beach, just focusing more on things that I think are worthwhile.