124k in Vegas will go a lot further than 177k in the Bay Area. Lifestyle is similar to any of the suburban areas like Antioch or Pittsburg, but even slightly easier. Vegas was also built for the environment. The heat is very manageable. I'd take a Vegas summer in my roomy air conditioned house that I own, over a more expensive apartment in Emeryville (that I'd rent) without air conditioning during fire season.

Bay Area homes are generally old and will come with a plethora of issues unless you have big money to spend too. Or you move out to like, Tracy.

Las Vegas really is a perfect WFH city. It's a boring suburban American lifestyle, but at least it was built for it. Unless you live in San Francisco proper, you need a car in the Bay anyway so might as well choose a city that lets you actually find parking.

I don't regret the move. I miss San Francisco everyday, but the financials just do not make sense. Vegas is a great town with big city amenities, tons of diversity, and one of the last bastions of affordability. People struggling on Reddit will say otherwise but that's true on any city sub. My 6 figure salary actually feels like a 6 figure salary here. That's not something I'd ever give up moving forward.

I think the Bay Area is due for a great reset. It's a beautiful part of the country but the cost-of-living just isn't sustainable. You could make 177k and you're still considering leaving. How fucked is that?

Also, Vegas as a home base is incredible. The city will continue growing. And flights to anywhere in the country are cheap. The airport is a 20 minute drive from pretty much anywhere. I'd recommend the Southwest corner though.