These lifestyle metrics are pretty dubious. Supposedly NYC is at the bottom of the list, but it's possible to live a pretty good lifestyle here even with a minimum wage job.
If you and your partner both make minimum wage for exempt employees in NYC ($70,200) then that's enough to afford an 800+ square foot apartment with good public transit access in safe, walkable neighborhood with plenty of food and recreation options. And that's without spending more than 25% of your income on rent, as is recommended.
Sure, maybe you could theoretically do better in Denver, but what's the point if NYC is the 'least livable' city and it's already more than good enough.
What are you talking about? $9 is the minimum wage. That's $37k per year combined for two people. I assure you minimum wage workers are not living good lifestyles here, even in The Bronx (where most of them live).
(If you take outside funding for your startup, that's going to be the minimum you're allowed to pay yourself, and statistically it's unlikely that your spouse is going to be making less than that.)
That's the minimum wage where your employer doesn't have to pay overtime if you work more than 40 hours a week, not the minimum wage an employer is allowed to pay you. It seems kind of silly to say "sure, you can afford a decent lifestyle as long as you have two well-paying jobs".
We're talking about technology start-up hubs. Like it or not, this is the relevant comparison population. People creating those companies and their partners are unlikely to be working hourly minimum wage jobs.
I live in Brooklyn where the median rent is at a record-setting $3,112 as of 2015. That's $37,344.00 a year.
Nyc rents are getting WAAAY outta control.
fugetaboutit.
Maybe if you want to live in trendy areas and in a big luxury condo? Obviously NYC ain't cheap but if you live in say, Ridgewood Queens or Sunnyside, you can get 1brs for 1600, easy.
Sure, but while not great by New York standards, that would be pretty standard for the bay area. And if your startup is actually successful then you can pay yourself more and move somewhere closer to the office.
If you and your partner both make minimum wage for exempt employees in NYC ($70,200) then that's enough to afford an 800+ square foot apartment with good public transit access in safe, walkable neighborhood with plenty of food and recreation options. And that's without spending more than 25% of your income on rent, as is recommended.
Sure, maybe you could theoretically do better in Denver, but what's the point if NYC is the 'least livable' city and it's already more than good enough.