more expensive than the sf Bay Area? Or nyc?

I’ve always thought that $3,500/month seems excessive when NYC and SFO and LA are very expensive too.

Probably in part for private school too. Most mainline bases are expensive or require a drive to not be.

Yes, that’s was my monthly rent…. You could find something less, but it will literally be a shack in the jungle…

Mind you, this was back in 2010… I imagine prices are crazier now…

Theres just limited housing availability…

So you think that rent in SF is less than 3500 a month? I dont have an issue with the guam guys getting the stipend, but when you talk about how expensive it is, realize that many of our bases are at least if not more expensive to live in.

also realize the stipend is for being based (for most of us) on the other side of the world. Away from families, on a tiny island, with limited resources. It’s not all about your rent. It’s about enticing someone to move out there and live. The justification in the contract is to help with cost of living.

Understood...the other guy brought up the rent issue.

Cost of living in GUM is misunderstood by many, IMO. Just realize you’re not likely going to be living in a spacious 5BR w/ a yard as very few of those exist out there. So if that’s what you’re used to, paying a similar cost for a smaller condo comes with a lot of up front sticker shock. Eventually, though, it’s about adjusting your expectations of space more so than your budget. My guess is that if that McMansion lifestyle is really that important to you it’s a good indicator that the base may not be a good fit.

Having said that, private schools are where the break even really starts to make itself felt. Depending on where you send them, a couple of kids can eat through that $3500 pretty quickly. If you’re out there without kids, or doing the homeschool thing that island pay can feel like gravy. If you’ve got a litter of kids in tow, not so much.

Unlike SF oe NYC, it's easy to find somewhere near by that allows you to achieve a lower COL.... Good luck trying that Guam.... On top of that, living in Guam, you also are dealing with more limited resources (groceries, gas, supplies, you name it). All those items are more inflated in price. On top of that, you are literally living on the other side of the world from families in the US...

What's your beef with my point if you don't have a issue with guys in Guam getting a stipend. My point was the fact that every dollar of stipend is going to be needed. I only mentioned the rent of a small 3-bed room condo in 2010 prices, that's over 14 years ago.... I imagine, those costs only have gone up. Rent is only one piece of that cost of living puzzle in Guam.

I am trying share my experience of being there from 2007-2012.

By the way, do not ring the bell in Club Viking....

Laughs in windward Oahu...