Genuine question: are they doing real COL adjustments, or window dressing? For example, the Bay Area can reasonably costs 2-3x+ relative to other major US citie

Genuine question: are they doing real COL adjustments, or window dressing? For example, the Bay Area can reasonably costs 2-3x+ relative to other major US cities. Are remote jobs really cutting total comp by 50%-60% for remote workers in the US? Or are the differences more cosmetic, like 20%? I have seen this before and it is always a huge win for the employee.