on $100k a year, leaving Lansing

change
San Francisco, CA cityscape

from lansing

San Francisco

ca · metro 4.6M

photo: Andrew Whitmore / unsplash

a dispatch from

san francisco

CA

37.77°N

122.42°W

San Francisco is hills, fog, Mission burritos the size of forearms, and pastel Victorians stacked like dominoes. Karl the Fog has his own Instagram, the cable cars are still mechanically pulled by cables running under the street, and the Pacific shows up at the end of every west-bound avenue. The food is wildly good, the views are theatrical, and yes, you'll get cardio just walking to the corner store.

metro4.6M

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$2,308

more each month than Lansing ran you

San Francisco is the expensive option. The argument has to be entirely about the place, not the price.
landable, recorded on the san francisco entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$3,146/mo

150% more expensive than Lansing(vs $1,259/mo)

02state income tax

9.3%

$421/mo more in state tax than Lansing

vs 4.25% in Lansing

03after rent

$4,412/mo

$2,308 less than Lansing

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$1239k

409% more expensive than Lansing

vs $244k in Lansing

05metro size

4.6M

vs 473k in Lansing

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

312

pleasant days a year, in san francisco.

Lansing only logs 153 pleasant days.

A real upgrade on things to do: 14.3× Lansing's pace.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

83/100

46% higher than Lansing

vs 57/100 in Lansing

Closest outdoor draw: Golden Gate National Recreation Area, 1.5 mi.

·walk score®

99/100

24% higher than Lansing

vs 80/100 in Lansing

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

111

1750% more than Lansing

vs 6 nonstops in Lansing

04 · see also

in the same ballpark as san francisco:

see also

san diego

$256/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

honolulu

$162/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

los angeles

$247/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare san francisco with:

San DiegoHonoluluLos Angeles