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3471A recent Reddit post that got my attention was posted on r/MiddleClassFinance, where one person shared their disillusionment after realizing that low-cost-of-living (LCOL) areas aren’t what they used to be.
“In 2019 before the pandemic, I lived in a quiet middle-class suburb somewhere between Detroit and Flint,” they wrote. “My mortgage was so f***ing cheap that even on a 15-year mortgage my monthly payment was only $430.”
At the time, decent apartments rented for around $850, and single-family homes in nice neighborhoods could be found for $180,000 to $250,000.
Even though their healthcare job paid just $30 an hour, they described living a “very middle-middle class comfortable life just because my expenses were so ridiculously cheap.”
Fast-forward to 2025, and the story is different. “I just logged on Realtor.com… rent has nearly doubled in the past five years and housing has also doubled,” they wrote.
They linked to a $590,000 listing in Clarkston, Michigan for a new construction they described as a “POS.”
Their plan had been to work in San Diego, where they doubled their salary to $69 an hour, buy a condo, build wealth, and eventually return to Michigan in triumph. That now seems unrealistic.
“Even though everything doubled in the past five years the salary has only increased $5,” they noted. “That is a horrible situation and in my opinion has totally destroyed almost all the value of living in or returning to a LCOL area.”
The Disappearing Price Gap
The thread quickly filled with similar stories from across the country. One commenter from West Michigan said that not only housing, but “daycare has gone up from $13k per kid per year to $18k, groceries have nearly doubled, restaurants are up 50%, [and] used cars are fantastically more expensive.”
Another added, “I live in a rural area about 2.5 hours outside a major metro. The house I bought in 2015 I couldn’t afford today, or any house within two hours of mine. Average home prices doubled in four years.”
People who moved from high-cost to low-cost regions to save money are now facing the same affordability problems they left behind.
“We moved from NYC to eastern PA… housing has become unaffordable for PA natives,” one user wrote. Another pointed out, “People don’t make their money in Hawaii. They bring their money there.”
LCOL Doesn’t Mean Low Cost Anymore
Many argued that the label LCOL is now outdated. “Just because a place used to be LCOL doesn’t mean it’s LCOL anymore,” one person wrote.
And it’s not just housing. Gas, groceries, and utilities are creeping up to levels seen in more expensive states. As one commenter put it, “The gap for quality of life definitely went down in LCOL and MCOL.”
Even places once thought to be bargain destinations are no longer immune.
“In my state, $850,000 for a burnt home teardown,” one person posted. Another said, “$1,200 for a basic 1-bedroom in Omaha—this isn’t low cost.”
Not Just About the Money
While OP admits to being a millionaire now, having maxed out retirement accounts and gained significant equity, the emotional toll of staying in a high-cost city far from family hit hard.
“All my friends live in Michigan… I have been here five years and have not made a single friend… I am a millionaire and living in a cool city but I am totally miserable since I am all alone and have no one to enjoy it with.”
One person suggested, “Sounds like you need to take your massive wealth and move back home… Swallow your pride and move on with it.”
The New Normal
The overall sentiment? The old rulebook is broken. The classic strategy of making money in high-cost cities and retiring comfortably in low-cost towns isn’t as reliable as it once was.
As one commenter put it:
“Everyone has the same plan now. That’s why it’s not as good of a deal for you.”
Low-cost living still exists in pockets, but with rising prices, stagnant wages, and increased demand from remote workers, the advantage is fading.
“If you can’t afford to dramatically increase your lifestyle, living situation, and comfort going back home, then why would you give up 3X the salary that only the HCOL area is capable of providing?”
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