I've lived in SF for a while... I would say it's better than every other city in the US... definitely not miserable:

1. Best weather, never too cold or too hot.

2. Can walk everywhere in the city, never need to own a car. Transportation here does suck, but it's still better than every other US city except NYC.

3. Have all the services, restaurants, trendy stuff to do if you want.

4. ~$250k base salaries prevent stress with buffer/retirement savings.

5. People who want to accomplish something move here. I haven't found another city with as many driven people as SF. That's exciting for me, but can also be exhausting sometimes.

Every time I try moving away I always move back. Missed out on buying a house here, but the salary and life quality make up for it for now.