How do you compare cost of living?

[LetalisK]

First, have you ever taken a lower paying job somewhere else and ended up actually making more money in the end because of cost of living? Or vice versa, have you ever moved somewhere for a higher paying job only to realize later you are ending up with less disposable income at the end of the day? Did you do anything about it? Would you prefer to make more and live in a more expensive area or vice versa?

Second, what's the best way to evaluate cost of living vs salary and benefits?
Thus far, I've been using http://money.cnn.com/calculator/pf/cost-of-living/, but I'm wondering if there is a more accurate tool I can use.

Third, if you live around Seattle or Denver, what is it like actually living there? I'm going to be visiting both of them again soon and moving to one or the other sometime next year.

My situation is that I'm trying to prioritize between two police department jobs in Seattle and Denver. In Seattle I'd start out at 67.7k a year(88.9k at 5 years in) while in Denver I'd be starting out at 52.1k a year(77.7k at 3 years in). According to the site, I'm way out ahead in the beginning in Seattle, but the Seattle 5 year and Denver 3 year are basically at the same level, giving Denver the edge.

I also keep seeing complaints on the internet that if you don't make 6 figures a year, then you're basically screwed in Seattle and won't be living comfortably, but I don't know how valid those complaints are. On the other hand, I could be wrong about this, but I think Seattle has full healthcare coverage for myself and dependents while for Denver I'd pay a part of the monthly premium(I think 20%, but I could be wrong).

To give it a little perspective, I currently live in a suburb(kind of) of Salt Lake City, Utah. I've done the calculations and I could live comfortably, for me, for about 40k a year here. This isn't counting whatever expenses and income my wife has. Personally, I'd prefer to live in a suburb, but I figure the cost of living in the surrounding suburbs scales appropriately with whatever city they're around, so I used the cost of living comparison tool.

Between these two, all other personal preferences being equal(ie climate), which seems like the better deal?

 

[EeveeElectro]

I can't speak for America, although that sounds really expensive even assuming you're not renting.

That sounds about £25,000 a year and that'd be more than enough for me, although that's not included all the tax you'd get taken off...
Maybe America has a lot more to pay than us a year or I have very low living standards...

Anyway, I used to live in Hull and by fuck, was it cheap there. Bus fares were cheap, it made no sense driving. House prices were ridiculous, when I moved back to my hometown I was paying £100/pm MORE for a tiny cottage with one less bedroom. It was a shitty place to live, mind but I had the same job I have now and could live really comfortably over there.

Not that I'd ever go back. I can JUST about manage off my wage, considering I can move in with my boyfriend next year and share the bills, we can live comfortably.

 

[TechNoFear]

Is this any help?

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=United+States&country2=United+States&city1=Seattle%2C+WA&city2=Denver%2C+CO

I am currently moving / retiring to Thailand as I can generate income in very expensive Australia and spend it in very cheap Thailand.

For example; the rent one of my suburban properties here generates in a week will pay rent on an ocean side villa in Thailand for a month (inc. a maid, laundry, cable TV & internet, pool and gym).

 

[seventy two]

Fun fact, I lived just outside of Salt Lake when I was young and then moved to the Seattle area. First thing I am gonna say is that the climate does matter the rain gets to most people who move there.(Not a huge impact on myself because I moved there young, but after 10 years my parents still hate the weather) As for cost, it is expensive to live in Seattle, but once you get a bit outside the main part of the city prices are not too bad. A lot of interesting things and places are in Seattle but honestly most of the unique aspects are things you see/do once. Though seafood is obviously very amazing.

I have been to Denver and have family there, overall I think it is a nicer place to live especially if you want to do anything outdoors related. Both places are good choices.

 

[LetalisK]

First thing I am gonna say is that the climate does matter the rain gets to most people who move there.

The rain and cloudy days are actually some of the things I enjoy about Seattle. On the flip side, Denver is a little cooler than SLC, but otherwise pretty much the same, so I'd be happy with that too.

 

[shootthebandit]

Im cant really say much about america but take into account house prices, bills, council tax, food and drink prices, fuel prices (or public transport if you dont drive). This could all change 3-5 years down the line though.

Are denver and seattle in different states? If so you may be looking at different taxes etc (as far as im aware certain states have what we call VAT (value added tax) which is a tax on everything you buy (minus essentials) and some dont)

 

[shootthebandit]

Anyway, I used to live in Hull and by fuck, was it cheap there

I think theres a reason for that. Im not going to give you the usual "hull is a shithole" because its not really. Theres just very little work in the area, i seen on the news the other day that they were advising the jobless in hull to move elsewhere because theres just no work. For americans to understand Hull is basically the detroit of the UK. It used ti have loads of industry but not doesnt. In fact id go so far as the say that the entire north of england and scotland is in a similar position

 

[likalaruku]

If you're thinking of working in Seattle, it's best to live somewhere cheaper, 30-60 minutes away, like Federal Way, Des Moines, Kent, Tacoma, etc. I also recommend renting a house with either a roommate, relative, or spouse with a job instead of buying a house or renting an apartment.

I don't know ANYONE who works in Seattle that actually lives in the city.

You can also live 2.5-4 hours away in Oregon. I know a lot of people who travel that long to & from work. One state has no sales tax, the other has no income tax.

Lastly, try to avoid buying gas near Seattle. It's probably more expensive in the Georgetown area than any other place in the whole state.

Oh yeah...you can't park ANYWHERE in Seattle for free & I thought the drivers in Nevada where bad, but Washington drivers take the cake. A few rain drops & they swerve all over the road & crash into eachother. On the plus side, the horrendous driving means you'll have more tickets to pass out. Then again, cops are like the #1 cause of traffic. everyone sees you've got someone pulled over, they'll slow to a crawl, like they're hoping if they wait long enough, something will explode.

 

[Something Amyss]

I can't speak for America, although that sounds really expensive even assuming you're not renting.

That sounds about £25,000 a year and that'd be more than enough for me, although that's not included all the tax you'd get taken off...
Maybe America has a lot more to pay than us a year or I have very low living standards...

Anyway, I used to live in Hull and by fuck, was it cheap there. Bus fares were cheap, it made no sense driving. House prices were ridiculous, when I moved back to my hometown I was paying £100/pm MORE for a tiny cottage with one less bedroom. It was a shitty place to live, mind but I had the same job I have now and could live really comfortably over there.

Not that I'd ever go back. I can JUST about manage off my wage, considering I can move in with my boyfriend next year and share the bills, we can live comfortably.

I just want to point out America is bloody huge compared to a lot of countries. It's tiny compared to some, too, but due to our size there's a huge swing in what's acceptable. I complained about the rental prices in Vermont to a friend in Los Angeles. She laughed because she was paying more, but she was only paying slightly more for a two bedroom than I was paying for a studio. In terms of size, she was paying nearly half what I was.

Electricity in the northeast is ungodly expensive, too.

it's harder to factor between countries, mind, because of all sorts of factors that are similar between states but not internationally. Still, we tend to have a pretty high cost of living comparably, some a LOT worse than others.

 

[flerchin]

Hey man, I can't comment directly on either Seattle or Denver, but I had a similar quandary regarding Dayton vs San Jose as a Software Engineer. I took an, at a least, $40k hit to live in Dayton, but it was totally worth it. The size of our house, just a few miles from work, in a school district with the best schools in the state, would go for over $1m in San Jose, vs $250k in Dayton. Taxes, electricity, mortgage, and other expenses are all lower as well. The downsides are snow, and we're further from family.

The high property values on the coast drive all sorts of expenses. Car mechanics have to charge more to make their rent, parking spaces are few and far between, traffic is a *****, etc. Denver will have Seattle beat in all of these areas.

The way I decided was by pricing it out on a real-estate website like zillow or trulia. Find specific houses you would want to live in. Consider commute time, school quality, and job quality.