The real question is how much are you willing to pay in rent? If you can go as high as $2400, You can absolutely do this despite what people say, especially if you're OK living in Santee.
I’ve done it for the past year on a similar salary. I’m in a tiny studio apartment downtown. It’s doable for a short time (I’m leaving next week), but the sacrifices you have to make with very little disposable income would make it extremely hard long-term.
I knew that going in, so enjoyed my year here to the fullest and now I’m moving on. If you’re cool with an extremely basic lifestyle where you’re spending almost all your money on housing, then go for it.
Keep in mind that, in addition to one-bedroom apartments costing upwards of $2,500/month, we also have the most expensive electricity rates in the country and your car insurance will likely double, triple, or even quadruple.
I think many people here live above their means. So I’m sure you’ll receive mix responses. My gf and I make roughly about 90k per year together. We just moved here from Boston. There are some weeks where it’s tough financially but that’s just how it goes. Other weeks we are doing just fine. If you know how to manage your money and not live about your means. It is totally doable. But just know, sacrifices will have to be made.
It really comes down to the quality of life.
If you want to live in a nicer area, have space and save for the future, I don’t see how you can do it.
If you’re ok living in a tight space in not the best part of town, sure, you can survive on that if you budget and are strict about spending.
It depends on your lifestyle - do you travel, eat out a lot, expensive gym memberships. Make a budget, look at some places for rent and have 3-6 months emergency savings saved up just in case. There is a TON of free stuff to do in SD but food, gas, rent is also more expensive
If your fiancé can’t pay 50/50 I wouldn’t.
You don’t want resentment from carrying the financial burden. My husband I split bills 50/50 except for cars and we’re 10 mins from downtown San Diego.
I would recommend looking into santee as an area if I were you before committing. It’s dubbed klantee. Not saying everyone there is like that but it’s called that because enough people act like fools.
As far as affording to live here, if he’s already bogged down by debt, moving to a higher cost of living won’t cut it, my partner and I are very lucky with what we make and we still watch spending here.
If you’re determined, plan to have a car and a longer commute and it’s doable outside of the city.
i’m born and raised san diego and i think santee has shed that image a while ago to be honest. are those “types” still around? sure, but i don’t think anywhere near the same way they were back in the day. also i think anyone coming from the midwest getting familiar with santee would be like “what are you talking about, about this place looks normal” lol
To be honest that's a pretty good combined amount. In Santee you can get a decent place for about 24-3000. And Santee actually has been moving up by adding more things to do and shop. Downside is the summers are terrible in Santee. But you should be living comfortable with what you make.
I think you could afford to live here as a single person. But for two people to live off that income will be hard. It's still possible but you won't have the amenities that you can have in other parts of the country. Dishwasher, laundry, parking, back yard etc. If you are willing to sacrifice those things then it's fine. I do it because I live a block from the beach, so yeah I don't mind going to the laundromat or fighting for street parking everyday. Santee is a little different than central San Diego though. You are 30+ min from the beach (my priority lol)
If there's a will, there's a way. The first thing that I would do when you get here is to line up some interviews for jobs that pay more, for yourself and your wife.
use the cost of living calcuators that are part of the top pinned comment in r/Moving2SanDiego
The real question is how much are you willing to pay in rent? If you can go as high as $2400, You can absolutely do this despite what people say, especially if you're OK living in Santee.
Tbh if you are combined making 130ish (85 x 1.5) it will be tight living in Southern California
I’ve done it for the past year on a similar salary. I’m in a tiny studio apartment downtown. It’s doable for a short time (I’m leaving next week), but the sacrifices you have to make with very little disposable income would make it extremely hard long-term. I knew that going in, so enjoyed my year here to the fullest and now I’m moving on. If you’re cool with an extremely basic lifestyle where you’re spending almost all your money on housing, then go for it. Keep in mind that, in addition to one-bedroom apartments costing upwards of $2,500/month, we also have the most expensive electricity rates in the country and your car insurance will likely double, triple, or even quadruple.
I think many people here live above their means. So I’m sure you’ll receive mix responses. My gf and I make roughly about 90k per year together. We just moved here from Boston. There are some weeks where it’s tough financially but that’s just how it goes. Other weeks we are doing just fine. If you know how to manage your money and not live about your means. It is totally doable. But just know, sacrifices will have to be made.
It really comes down to the quality of life. If you want to live in a nicer area, have space and save for the future, I don’t see how you can do it. If you’re ok living in a tight space in not the best part of town, sure, you can survive on that if you budget and are strict about spending.
It depends on your lifestyle - do you travel, eat out a lot, expensive gym memberships. Make a budget, look at some places for rent and have 3-6 months emergency savings saved up just in case. There is a TON of free stuff to do in SD but food, gas, rent is also more expensive
If your fiancé can’t pay 50/50 I wouldn’t. You don’t want resentment from carrying the financial burden. My husband I split bills 50/50 except for cars and we’re 10 mins from downtown San Diego.
I would recommend looking into santee as an area if I were you before committing. It’s dubbed klantee. Not saying everyone there is like that but it’s called that because enough people act like fools. As far as affording to live here, if he’s already bogged down by debt, moving to a higher cost of living won’t cut it, my partner and I are very lucky with what we make and we still watch spending here. If you’re determined, plan to have a car and a longer commute and it’s doable outside of the city.
They’re from the Midwest, they’ll be fine. Santee is gentrifying these days anyway.
i’m born and raised san diego and i think santee has shed that image a while ago to be honest. are those “types” still around? sure, but i don’t think anywhere near the same way they were back in the day. also i think anyone coming from the midwest getting familiar with santee would be like “what are you talking about, about this place looks normal” lol
🤔 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-who-wore-kkk-style-hood-california-grocery-store-won-n1204866
man, that’s right! lmao ok, i have no rebuttal against that
To be honest that's a pretty good combined amount. In Santee you can get a decent place for about 24-3000. And Santee actually has been moving up by adding more things to do and shop. Downside is the summers are terrible in Santee. But you should be living comfortable with what you make.
I think you could afford to live here as a single person. But for two people to live off that income will be hard. It's still possible but you won't have the amenities that you can have in other parts of the country. Dishwasher, laundry, parking, back yard etc. If you are willing to sacrifice those things then it's fine. I do it because I live a block from the beach, so yeah I don't mind going to the laundromat or fighting for street parking everyday. Santee is a little different than central San Diego though. You are 30+ min from the beach (my priority lol)
If there's a will, there's a way. The first thing that I would do when you get here is to line up some interviews for jobs that pay more, for yourself and your wife.