Life North Cali

[Henia 11]

Hey all,

Wondering if anyone can give me some general info about cost of living in Northern California, East Bay area. Basics like food costs, housing, schools, etc ... And also what's the min wage and also the average salary? So I can compare. Thanks a lot!

[Daniel&Theary 30]

Well it all varies depending on what work you are in and what part of east bay you leave in. Rents can vary from 1000 to as much as 10-15000 depending on what you want. Pay is based on your line of work. Fuel is more expensive there right now about $3.50 a gallon vs 3.30 a gallon in the valley and food prices are a little higher

[Henia 11]

My husband is in Finance, Finance Manager to be exact (in his native country) where we currently live. I'm not sure if his degree is transferrable so even bookkeeping or job in a bank would be great to start from. Me, the USC well probably start at any min wage job, then once he gets a job go back to being SAHM. Housing, I guess cheapest would fine as start. Thinking Oakland, Alameda, Contra Costa but whatever we can find at this point. What do you mean by little higher? I havn't been in Cali in over 8yrs ... been in my husband's country. Thanks!

[Golden Gate 530]

The cost of living is very high in the Bay Area. My sister lives in Alameda. Probably costs $3000 a month for a two-three bedroom flat there. It is very difficult to live there unless you are making at least $80,000 a year. Public schools are free, of course. Not sure what the food prices are out there, but the rent will kill you. Bart transportation isn't cheap either. I believe they just upped the minimum wage to $10.00. I used to live there and made about $10.00/hour. I could only live there because I shared a house in SF with several people, but now that would be impossible on $10.00 per hour. I used to pay $250 per month for a room in a flat. Now that is probably about $800 per month for the same room. That tells you the change that has taken place in the past 8 years. Many people have been forced out of the area because of the rise of housing prices. I spend about $550 a month on food for a family of four in Michigan. Probably you will spend at least $750 for the same amount in California. Gas prices generally are about .50 to .75 cents more in California than Michigan. Currently we pay about $3.20/gallon, and that is fluctuating up to almost $4.00/gallon.

Edited November 9, 2013 by Golden Gate

[israsaif 1]

I am Algerian but I've lived in the Bay Area since i was 4. My family and I used to live in Richmond/El Cerrito which is about 10 minutes from Berkeley and Oakland. We moved to San Francisco about a year and a half ago because my dad bought a restaurant here. I went back to Algeria last summer and got married and brought my husband here. Finding a DECENT PRICED place to live in San Francisco has been near impossible. Studios are at least $1500 and even that is hard to find and if you do it's in a horrible neighborhood. BUT San Francisco has so many programs for low income households and provide cheaper rent in decent areas. I love the city so I've been stubborn about looking somewhere else in the bay but if you look a little outside of San Francisco in Oakland or San Leandro you have a much better chance of finding cheaper rent.

Now as far as work goes...hate to break to you but your husbands degree in Algeria isn't going to do him any good here. I have a bachelors degree and I've been looking for a job for a few months and it hasn't been easy. Not to undermine your husbands experience but any job you apply for wants experience in the same field and legitimate references they can call and what school (in the US) you went to. There are a lot of job opportunities in San Francisco and Oakland. You guys might want to start with an entry level job and work your way up. Or maybe even open a family business like a coffee shop or restaurant. It takes time to settle into a new place and when you are with your hubby and kids everything falls into place alhamdulillah There is a big Algerian community here that will welcome you with open arms (including me).

Hope that helps and feel free to message me with any questions

[markonline1 11]

California minimum wage is $8 an hour. California is one of, if not the most expensive state to live in. The Bay Area is one of the most expensive parts if the state to live in. To give you an example, I live in the Monterey Bay Area which is about an hour south. My household income is approx $110,000 a year and we pretty much live paycheck to paycheck although that does include child care for one.

[Golden Gate 530]

Here's minimum wage in SF, but probably not Oakland: http://sfgsa.org/index.aspx?page=411