I learned in my 20s that the high rents and taxes are like an entry fee you pay to be around quality people.
Spent a bit of my 20s in Atlanta and it was just depressing despite me having my own place and making good money for my age. Never been in a city with more insufferable, clownish, unprofessional, trashy, corny, always in someone else's business like paparazzi, and boring people in my life. It's the kind of people that throw in the towel on life at 25.
If you wanted to climb the ranks, you had to buddy buddy with some overweight Frat bro who wears khakis but deep down inside, knows he peaked in college and is only being propped up by the local environment.
Went to NYC and immediately noticed a higher quality of people. People dressed better, acted more professionally, were ambitious, and usually stuck by their words. Networking events were one of a kind. Beautiful women were far more abundant and not married to their college sweetheart by 25.
Going out was more fun. Nightlife was better and brought you higher quality people. You actually networked with people who were doing something with their lives rather than dreaming of a house in the suburbs at 25. Like the level of difference in the quality of people was almost unfathomable to me.
Did I give up a lot to move to NYC? Yeah, I lived with 3 roommates at one point. However, I'd do it all over again.