I love Cali.
Found SF mostly an overpriced and provincial relic coasting on its rep from decades ago. Large income inequality gap, MUNI the bus system is unreliable and its still a car culture. Things close early, weather can be gloomy depending on where you live in city.
No real strong sense of community. Most interesting cultural events go on in the East Bay.
Its very beautful–Golden Gate park is great. Not as much going on in SF as people assume.
Except for the homeless community?
They used to be in mental hospitals until that dreaded liberal Reagan turned them out on the streets.
California can be awesome if you make enough money
That said I don’t now but did live in the city of SF
There are places in the East Bay that are much better and places to avoid like the plague
There are places in the city to avoid too
Just need to know
I almost never go to SF now
Don’t find a need to do so
Berkeley is big enough of a city to get the city life
SF is worth visiting but I wouldn’t like living there again
Are you trolling or something? you’ve been here for 3 years and left very recently, I assure you not much has changed. 10 mil NTD is ridiculously high for Taiwan and given the living costs I would say you need to make over 1 mil USD in SF area for a similar purchasing power (not sure about overseas income tax in the US, assuming negligible tax). But that income bracket is high enough that you can live comfortably anywhere in the world so IMO you shouldn’t bother if you were miserable in Taiwan the last time. Personally love Taiwan and would take Taiwan over the US even with a slightly lower income but I also fully understand why some people might not be able to stand a second of it.
No its treu (sic) that they only offered him 10 million.
De mon 
Trou?
Just for laughs and giggles let’s see what 250k is about in SF
Tax takes at most 40pct including federal and state and social security and Medicare
So we got 150k
A two bedroom costs bout 4000 a month to rent or to buy for 30 years loan
A nice audi or Bmw costs about 600 a month to lease add insurance and what not let’s say 12000 per annum
So the 150k is now down to 90k.
Let’s say eating costs 2000 a month or 24000 a year so we are now at 66000 a year minus water and electricity being about say 3000 a year we are down to 63000 a year minus some other misc costing say 3000 a year we still
Have 5000 a month to play with or invest
So that’s not horrible
For a single dude
For a family depends on what’s needed but that 5000 a month could be spent pretty quickly
So yeah for a family 250k is nice living but not overly posh
Now if u have a wife and kids you get a tax break but guaranteed your wife and kids will spend more than your tax savings
Why are you renting an earring and why is it so expensive?!
ETA: Your edit was too fast for me.
Typo but if I was Elton John that could make sense 
I guess I’ve been here too long and haven’t bought food in the States for awhile. That food budget is more than my salary!
A Big Mac meal easily costs around 8 bucks here
Sandwiches cost 7 to 10 bucks
A Japanese bento meal costs 8 to 12 or 16 depends on the place
Two people eating a simple meal is easily 35 dollars
At most chain restaurants that are not fast food we are talking 25 a head if u add tax and 15pct service charge
This Taiwanese restaurant I go to serves for 10 bucks what in Taiwan will be 2 to 3 dollars
It adds up fast food costs
At supermarkets 100 doesn’t go that far
It probably only goes for housing and education, decent health care. Good food is probably cheaper around SF than in Taiwan. Cars, gasoline and other daily stuff too.
4000 is on the low side for rent, closer to 6k. Basically when all is said and done I can save about 30k a year because the wife buys a lot of stupid crap. All fine and dandy generally, except literally all of the savings go to the kids college fund.
I just have to get accustomed to the fact that I am going to have the shits again every day for the next couple of years going back to Hsinchu.
Lol,
Dude, tw is not that bad(although hsinchu does seem to suck a bit)
Get the company to include in your pay package a shit load of perks instead of taking it in cash, you’ll save on taxes there
Also, front load the remuneration if possible so you get a signup bonus prior to moving to tw
voilà
I am an American and worked in high tech in Taiwan for years, I have never heard of a job that pays 5mill or 162,000 USD (approximately), nor did I ever know another American or Canadian working at any high tech company foreign owned or otherwise that ever had a salary this high. Can you please share with us the kind of work that you do? Are you an Executive Vice President or higher. Where does one find job listings for jobs with salaries this high? Thanks!
The guy has a top level position obviously .
10 mil a year is a big fish as far as Taiwan salaries go…no make that a whale.
Ex GF has a degree from an Ivy League and an MBA from Oxford and she’s making a fraction in Taiwan compared to what investment banking could pay her in the USA.
If only I had that degree instead of a BS from Bullford.
Buying a place in sf probably is not more than Taipei but renting definitely is .
As the guy said closer to 6000 a month USD to rent a nice place.
Health insurance is very expensive say 900 a month per individual. USD not NT D
Education is expensive for private schools and non resident
UCBerkeley tuition will run about 10k a year for resident but 38k a year for non resident. USD now.
Preschool is about 2000 USD a Month for Pete’s sake.
CArs are so much cheaper than in Taiwan. Think half their taiwan prices.
Lease a nice Audi or jag or bmw or the like for about 600 a month with 10 pct down
Gas varies tremendously from station to station
Currently about 3.50 a gallon for regular.
Milk is about 4 bucks a gallon , double for organic
Bread is cheap. Many things in the supermarket are cheaper than Taiwan
But I would not say eating out is cheaper though.
Family restaurants have entree around 12 to 16 while posher restaurant entree are 27 to 45 dollars say.
Salad and soups run around 7 bucks at lesser places double that at posher places or more.
Whore durvs run a gamut from say 10 to 30.
Deserts are 5 to 7 thereabouts or more
And remember the tax and the expected 15 pct tip
Many tip 20pct , many ten . I do 15pct usually
That’s a lot of money. Yule be fine. Enjoy, there are some really nice high end niceties to enjoy in Taiwan, food, hotels, shops. And cheap as hell Asia beaches, diving, hiking, skiing, sightseeing is great when you have money.
Good to great private schools for the kids.