When you move from small town middle america you run into sticker shock all the time. I know I did. Gas is a dollar cheaper per gallon back home. Rent is a third as much...a THIRD. Food is cheaper, insurance is cheaper, everything is cheaper.
When you have a math degree and an insane amount of greed you look at everything in terms of dollars and cents. It all adds up and quickly in the city. If you use as little as 50 gallons of gas a month, you save $50 back home. If your rent is $1500 in the city, back home you could have a great place for $750. Or, if you want a house you can build a great one for $200,000, but if you live in a big city you can buy a crappy one for $600,000.
Those are the big things people think about when moving, but what about the smaller things. Food is actually more expensive out here. It has to be more expensive out here because everything costs more out here, but that's not the point. Electricity is more expensive, not by much but it is. Every single thing that you can think of is more expensive.
A lot of this seems like complaining more than comparison and that's a fair point. The city does have some things that a small town does not. I mean there is always something to do in a city. You can go to one of 50 theaters, go to shows, parks, sporting events, or one of a million hobbies. If you like guns, they have gun ranges or archery ranges. If you are lucky enough, some cities even have beaches. This all adds to the allure of the big city, but for some it's not worth the price.
When you weigh the pro's and con's of your living situation, take into account how much more it is where you are moving. I make 24% more out here than I would have in the middle of nowhere, but that doesn't cover the actual cost of living. Also, if you aren't getting raises to the tune of 3% per year you are actually getting a pay cut because of inflation. Perspective changes so much when you move, but the goals remain the same.
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