The quality of life is really great here in Pittsburgh. I have a huge 1 bedroom, back yard, front porch, in a great safe neighborhood, a block from major bus lines. All for $600/month. It'd run me at least triple that in somewhere like SF or NYC. Sure, you can't get some of the things you'd get in those cities, but quite frankly, you can come close. There are dozens of ethic restaurants a block away, 10+ museums and galleries within 5-10 miles, and best of all, it's cheap enough to actually have time to visit them.