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I was curious to hear from everyone who lived in california what the average cost of things are there.

I am graduating from mercedes benz elite tomorrow and have had no luck so far with any mercedes dealers back home in texas, and I have a friend who works at lithia mazda who told me MB of fresno was in need of techs and I also was asked to drop by MB of oakland and MB or pleasanton and possibly fletcher jones in freemont. I am not really interested in california, but right now I dont have much choice and I will go where the money is. And it seems alot of jobs are coming out of cali.

But the cost of living concerns me. I dont want to end up going out there and end up getting myself in a situation where I live paycheck to paycheck. I plan to go out there and at to atleast start at between $17-$20 hr and ask for some moving assistance.

But any other feedback would be appreciated.

 
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depends where u go in cali.

orange county is ridiculously high. like $1400-2000 a month for a 2 bedroom apt ... depending where u go in OC.

 
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Its the same in Ventura county up to the L.A county line.

check my companies web sites for rentals: www.realtor.com or www.rentnet.com

 
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17-20 a hr you can live in cali, it does cost alot but we all still manage and the range there starting you off at it wont be bad, and most of the places your looking at are cheap except for okland as that is a main city just like la, oc, pasadena, san fernando valley, but with money you will be making you will be able to live here.

 
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also check www.salary.com just plug in a Fremont, CA 94536

or click here I filtered on "automotive" jobs:

http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/l...ode=&x=52&y=15

 
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it can be done.. at $17-20 a hr fulltime thats about $1,600 every 2 weeks and $3,200 and yearly is about 40k.. throw alittle of that into a high intrest savings account every month and dont touch it... then the other half use for housing expenses and what not and with what ever left over throw that back into a high intrest saving account.. remember it doesnt matter how much money u make, its what u do with that money that matters.. i make about half u make a i half thousands of dollar in assets in high savings account and 401k also invest in mutal funds.. hope that helps//

 
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^ that's true.....it all depends on what you do with your money.....period!!!! But as for living here in cali, you should be fine for what your making.....GL

 
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^agreed!

 
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Yeah, definitely depends on how you spend your money... I pay $1200/month for an efficiency. All the areas in the Northern OC area, that aren't straight up ghetto, will run about that much. So if you do decide to move here, definitely consider a roommate.

Also, just in general, if you like going out drinking, unless you're into dive bars or can find good spots for happy hour, be prepared to drop a lot of money on the weekends.

Do you have a lot of friends out here? I've found people from So. CA are pretty cliquish... in that they tend to hang out w/ their hs and college friends, so it's not that easy to meet new people. (that's just my personal view though)

 
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the two hot zones are bay area and L.A./ San Diego. The further you are from either, the cheaper the cost of living. Fresno is way cheaper, because it is dead in the middle between L.A. and the Bay. Of course, it's in the middle of nowhere, so thats why...

 
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I usually dont waiste my money on anything, it just sits in the bank, but at the same time I dont make enough to spend enough. once bills are paid and the car has gas and what not, there isnt enough left over to have any fun. and thats what I am trying to avoid. I choose to come back to school to get out of the $5 an hour jobs.

But I thank everyone for the response. I will probably be out there in the next 3 weeks interviewing with people.

 
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If you're talking about Fresno, the cost of living there is NOT a big deal... it's similar to Texas or many other cheap areas of the country.

If you want to live in Pleasanton or Fremont, that's another matter. You can find apartments in the area for... maybe around $1200 a month on the low side for a 1 bedroom. Oakland is different, in that you can find cheap housing, but ghetto housing. And you can always commute. A 10 min commute can make prices even different, lower or higher.

$20 an hour is plenty enough to live on, as long as you aren't married

 
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Yeah For An Appartment Alone Can Get Pretty Pricy. Having A Home Can Empty Your Pockets......thrust Me I Had To Sell My Home, Because It Was To Much For My Bucket.

 
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With the cost of living in southern cali I think you are grossly underestimating what your pay will be as a MB tech. Whatever they are making in Texas, double for out here.

Phil

 
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The most expensive places to live in the USA is Los Angeles and New York, ofcourse New York more than L.A.

 
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He's actually asking about NorCal and Central Cali.... Fresno and the Bay Area.

That's expensive enough though. As far as the entire city goes, I'd say it costs way more to live in SF rather than NY.

 
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I dont think I am underestimating what I will be paied at all. If it is doubled from what texas offers, then I would gladly move to cali. thats $30-$35 an hour. Texas offers about $13-$18 an hour depending on experience for an elite tech. Now if I go to cali, I see that as $17-$22 an hour. only because it is more expensive there.