Sure that's fair, that may be hyperbolic (outside SF and SJ), but I stand by the idea that 70K CAD in Canada will go just as far if not further than 115K USD in the Bay Area.

Let's break it down:

- 70K in Ontario per year is $4400CAD per month after tax.

- A two bedroom apartment in the Glebe in Ottawa (~Mission type vibe) is about $1800-2000 per month on Zumper, leaving you with $2200-2400 after tax.

On the other hand:

- 115K in California is $6400USD per month after tax.

- A two bedroom apartment in the Mission is $3800-4500 per month on Hotpads in the heart of COVID after a 10% y/y drop, leaving you with as little as $1900-2600 per month after tax.

Even before you factor in that everything is more expensive in San Francisco, you'll see quite quickly that you're better off taking a 70K/yr CAD Ottawa salary than a 115K/yr San Francisco salary. You'll have a better lifestyle and you'll probably be happier too.

The math changes when you make a lot of money, I suppose, or if you're going to send it back, but otherwise, it's by no means sufficient to use the exchange rate as a proxy for your lifestyle (50K vs. 115K).

[edit] Not to mention the definition of a low-income household in the Bay Area is $117,000 so, while close, $115,000 is actually considered low income. [1] On the other hand, the definition of a low income household in Ottawa is $56,000 CAD, so you'd actually be 25% over the threshold.

[1] https://fortune.com/2018/06/27/bay-area-six-figures-housing-...