I was actually just looking at this the other day, and was freaking out in the opposite direction. I don't think the transportation costs are too high if you have a car. Right now I spend $150/month (on top of my rent) for a space in the garage of my apartment building and thats considered a good deal. My girlfriend in the inner sunset pays $250 for her space. If you don't rent a garage and park on the street, you still need a city permit in most neighborhoods ($76/year). Then you also have to pay for new windows when your car gets broken into, which will happen. Then there's the $75 parking tickets... and I don't care how responsible you think you are, you'll get them. Mark my words.jawsome wrote:Awesome news, leron.
I can't believe this hasn't been brought up, and I'd like everyone's input: does anyone else think the cost of living averages given by UCH are drastically inflated?
http://www.uchastings.edu/financial-aid ... .html]Link
SF is definitely an expensive city but I think their personal expenses and food average are ridiculous. I know transportation varies quite a lot between everyone but I don't know how I could spend over $100 every month on transportation even if I tried. That would require riding the BART and/or busses every single day.
If you don't have a car, you'll need a muni pass ($65/month is a better deal than $2 each way to ride the bus every day), and most of my friends that don't own cars still end up needing to use Zip Car once or twice a month for grocery shopping or to get to Target or for whatever other errands require a car ($20 for a hour). One round trip to Berkeley on Bart is $7...
If you don't plan on riding the bus every day, how are you planning on getting to school? I guess if you're living in the Tower and have no life outside of the Tenderloin you don't need to worry, but for everyone else I don't see how you'd survive without daily bus trips.
The $1200 apartment allowance seems really low to me, unless you're living in the Tower or in a super iffy part of the Tenderloin/"lower nob hill". Right now, I'm looking to move from my $1500 studio ($1500 not counting the $150 for the garage) in Nopa to a 2-bedroom to share with a roomie in the Alamo Square/Upper Market/Hayes Valley areas (these are decent, not swanky neighborhoods, and close to Hastings). I'm not finding anything too livable under $2100 (note, I've been out of school for a while; maybe my view of whats 'livable' is skewed. But really. I live in a 350sf studio in a 100-year old building right now. Its not like I'm pampered). Factor in internet, utilities, and my $70/month cell phone bill and I'm definitely over the $1200 mark.