For starters, someone making $100k in the mid west probably isn't going to be renting a median 1 bedroom apartment. They probably own a 3+ bedroom house. I bet

For starters, someone making $100k in the mid west probably isn't going to be renting a median 1 bedroom apartment. They probably own a 3+ bedroom house. I bet there aren't many people in San Francisco with 3+ bedroom houses that don't make $300k+ (excluding people that bought in a really long time ago). That being said, I think it's a bit disingenuous to compare cost of living like that. If you enjoy living in a large city, you probably have a lifestyle that isn't possible in small town America and you're probably willing to have a smaller living space in order to have that lifestyle. For me, living in a city means there is so much to do that I can pretty much just use my apartment as a place to sleep and spend most my waking hours somewhere else. That's not for everyone but if it is you, you'd probably be way better off making 300k in sf than 100k in the middle of Kansas. On the other hand, if you don't go out much and spend most your time at home and want a large house to entertain guests and raise a bunch of kids and have 100 acres of land to ride your dirt bikes. You're probably better off trying to do that with 100k in Kansas.