Well this is depressing http://www.citylab.com/work/2016/04/millionaires-in-san-francisco-are-no-longer-considered-wealthy/478200/
Having just spent 3 months in Sausalito and going to increase to 5 months next year, I didnāt find SF especially expensive except for the RE. ShawWife and I are now talking seriously about downsizing our permanent house and she is still trying to convince me to move to Canada for the non-winter, especially if ShawD also ends up in the West.
But, then again, I spend a week a month in London/Frankfurt and travel for business in lots of expensive cities (just had dinner here https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g293974-d806180-r157765604-Maiden_s_Tower-Istanbul.html and herehttps://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293974-d2675286-Reviews-Suda_Kebap-Istanbul.html).
I think real estate prices ARE the issue in SF.
California vs. Massachusetts on the total tax front might be a wash at upper income levels.
āI think real estate prices ARE the issue in SF.
California vs. Massachusetts on the total tax front might be a wash at upper income levels.ā
I agree. I visit SF quite often, and I donāt really see anything that looks more expensive than here at home (Seattle), though I donāt notice everything, since I donāt live there. The real estate and state income taxes are the killer in SF, that I see.
For those who have saved enough to retire comfortably, did you put away money for devastating illness - something that doesnāt kill you quickly and can be cured or at least treated with very expensive drugs/procedures? If so, how much did you set aside for that possibility?
Also a philosophical question: Is it okay to say f*ck it, Iām going to retire with what I have. If a devastating disease strikes, Iāll move to Oregon and succumb on my terms?
If saving for a devastating disease means I have to work into my 70s to do so, Iām adopting the philosophy that Iām going to die within a decade anyway, Iāll take my chancesā¦
Seems rather depressing to save a whole bunch of money just for a devastating illness, and then not be able to spend it, just having it laying there waiting. I think a better plan is to spend some of that extra money on really good supplemental insurance, that would cover those kind of things. And enjoy your savings!
@PragmaticMom ā Iāve been thinking about moving to Oregon lately, but hadnāt really thought about it for that reason. Looking for a city on the west coast close to an airport that isnāt outrageously expensive is my thinking . . .
At some point, you kind of do have to retire with what you have and thatās that. Also, when I think about spending some money enjoying life, I kind of do think, well, if I donāt take that trip to Japan (Florida, NYC, doesnāt really matter where) and try to hang on to every dime I now have, it is eventually going to go to healthcare anyway. Might as well have a little fun before that happens . . . The way things are going with health care costs in this country, I am not convinced that weāll ever have enough assets to be safe from having health care costs drain it all away . . .
" Also, when I think about spending some money enjoying life, I kind of do think, well, if I donāt take that trip to Japan (Florida, NYC, doesnāt really matter where) and try to hang on to every dime I now have, it is eventually going to go to healthcare anyway. Might as well have a little fun before that happens . . ."
Yes! Exactly. It just seems that so many people hang on to every cent and keep waiting to do that travel until after they retire, and then they canāt (or wonāt) even leave their home. So much fear of getting injured, sick, when traveling, lose the desire, too painful to get around. I think some believe theyāre going to be the same mentally and physically, in 20-30 years, and most arenāt. Itās such a balance of doing the fun stuff now, while you can, without blowing everything and having not enough saved for retirement. Do you really want all your money to be supporting you in a nursing home in your nineties, when you may have lost your marbles anyways?
We struggle with this concept a lot. How much do we work, how much time to take off. How much to save, how much to spend. Weāre trying to formulate a plan of what to do when we finally pay off our debt (hopefully within a year), and actually have some extra money left at the end of the month.
Do what is right for you. At some point, If you think its best to move to Oregon, move to Oregon.
A friend of my momās had a stroke 10 years ago. She has lived in a nursing facility since the stroke. Medicaid is paying for this. She doesnāt have any money. I wouldnāt want to live the way she lives. But, she is not killing herself so maybe I am wrong. Mentally she is fine. Physically, she has problems including the inability to walk.
I like the compare cost of living calculators. I like this one because I can enter whichever city I want.
I am going to post the link in a minute.
http://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/
There are other calculators that are more detailed for people who like more details.
One thing I donāt like to do is worry about events that are very unlikely to occur.
It is a waste of time and energy. I donāt think it makes a life better.
When I have these negative thoughts, I think, āWhat the heck am I doing?ā Then I try to think more positive thoughts.
Maybe like Peter Pan? I think itās Peter Pan. 
CA income tax is much higher than MA at upper income levels - CA tops out at a 13.3% incremental rate, MA has a flax tax of 5.1%.
CA sales tax is higher.
Property taxes, itās hard to say, it probably depends on how long youāve owned your house in CA.
MSteeā¦there is currently a severe housing crisis in Portland metro area. Like 10 competing offers on a house. Just Heard yesterday they are considering rent control! FYI.
That we in the US even have to think about this is sad. When, oh when, are we going to agree that healthcare is a right not a privilege? DH and I are seriously considering moving while weāre still healthy to a country thatās figured this out and, yes, we would even give up our citizenship to avoid losing what weāve worked so hard to enjoy. The world is a big place and there are countries that donāt expect their citizens to impoverish themselves if they become seriously ill. We spend a fair amount of time investigating these options and the corresponding up/downsides; there are no clear winners. Not sure where weāll land but just sad that we even have to think about it.
We do think supplemental insurance and LTC policies, which we have, are necessary to stay in the U.S., but these are expensive and we donāt think itās right that only the well-off can afford the best options.
āMSteeā¦there is currently a severe housing crisis in Portland metro area. Like 10 competing offers on a house. Just Heard yesterday they are considering rent control! FYI.ā
Doesnāt that seem odd? Really short of housing, massive competitionā¦so letās make it worse by introducing rent control. And people will never move once they get in those units. I think that just inflates the prices of the non rent controlled buildings, and makes it harder to get housing.
@TempeMom, I was just looking at Portland Or and comparing its cost of living to Eugene Or.
Portland is a pretty nice place. With 10 competing offers, I guess Portland is discovered.
@ChoatieMom, No clear winners, but which countries or cities are in the lead?
@ChoatieMom , let us know how youāre progressing on the investigations. DW and I are considering my getting EU citizenship and splitting our time between Scotland and Italy, maybe in conjunction with engineering a job transfer for her to the UK. Still early days, and we will probably wind up in CT
Well, except for the recent earthquake in that country (now on the downside list), Cuenca Ecuador is near the top.
We have toyed with the idea of living abroad in retirement, at least for a few years. The idea might get accelerated depending on who winds up in the White House. 
Okā¦and what is on the upside?
My brother in law lives in the Philippines. My father in law isnāt doing well. One of the ideas is to move my father in law to the Philippines when my filās long term care runs out.
I donāt know, he is almost 90.