I wholeheartedly agree. You don’t have to live there to make SF-grade money though. And even if you do, even after all the expenses, you’re still very likely better off than most Europeans. You just don’t get anything for “free”.
I have not yet seen a remote friendly company that does not adjust for NOT living in SF. I’ve been remote for 10 years now.
The only scenario I can think of is to start in-office in SF, prove your value and then go remote after some time and maintain salary. I have not tried that yet.
