I was commenting on the parent "..how far would you say that $110,000 has gotten you in Seattle?"
I've survived in Seattle making that amount, and making half that amount. Each time I've had to adjust my life in order to get what I wanted out of life.
Maybe you don't have the health issues his remark implies? (In that after rent, his next highest expense is 'medical and dental'.)
I can't decide if he is commenting on his own situation or just added it in as part of a larger question about the economy.
Most Americans seem to list "house and car (in that order)" as their two biggest expenses. If someone tells you their medical expenses exceed their car expenses, it looks like an issue to me.