Originally Posted by
PatrickGSR94
My car doesn't cost me $9K/year thank goodness. But if we moved to Memphis proper I can guarantee our living expenses would increase by more than $9K per year over what it is now. For one thing it would be moving farther, much farther, away from work - no bike commuting. We wouldn't even consider it unless I had some really awesome job offer at a place in the city. But it would be hard to leave where I've been for over 9 years now.
I don't know what you are driving (or if you have two cars/married/a s.o.), but you might be surprised at how much it does actually cost each year. If you factor in gas, oil, tires, brakes and other items that get replaced due to regular wear. Add to that costs for stuff that just breaks. And insurance plus depreciation it comes out to much more than most realize.
I don't miss your larger point though. I might also believe that, depending on where you actually relocate, food costs would be higher as well.