-cost of living in this city is extremely affordable

-550 for a two bedroom

-utilities 40-60 for all by one person

-transportation could be by bike but bus is very cheap

-food eat in most of the time and 150 a month is good for a family of three

Right now we are living with family, so we are paying them a set fee. As for gas prices, it seems to take awhile to go down, when they lower, but rise quickly, and are higher in the valley over-all. Produce prices here are wonderful due to the many farm fresh fruits and veggies grown in the area. Same with meat prices. When I lived outside of CA I noticed how hard it was to find good produce and good steaks, and even harder to find them and good prices! We have a ton of free to costly recreational activities within a couple hours drive. Mountains on one side and coast on the other. Plus the normal mid-size town entertainment right here. A few hours away and you have theme parks, etc. So it's a great place to live for variety. Safetywise things are on a downswing. The state is broke, (hey who isn't right now?) and we are having trouble paying teachers, firemen, and policemen. You know, all those that keep us safe and well educated.