Moving to San Francisco for a Startup Job? Read This First.

In 2015, I moved from Sydney to San Francisco to build a recruitment business. No safety net. No network. No credit score.

Just ambition and a belief that being in the Bay would change the trajectory of my career. (Spoiler Alert: It did.)

If you're planning to move to SF for a startup role - especially engineering, product, or GTM - here’s the real, unfiltered version of what to expect and how to set yourself up to succeed quickly. Not reasons to not move - just the stuff nobody says out loud until you're already here.

1. Credit Runs Your Life - Build It Before You Get Here

When I moved from Sydney to Silicon Valley, I became painfully aware of the need for a credit score. It impacts your ability to get:

• A phone plan

• An apartment

• A car lease

• A credit card

• In some cases, even job onboarding paperwork

Do this before you move:

• Apply for a global Amex or similar card overseas

• Transfer it to a US Amex after 2–3 months

• Set auto-payments & keep utilization low

• Pull your first US credit file within 90 days

  
  

If someone had told me this earlier, I would’ve saved hours of admin pain.

2. Your Neighborhood Choice Shapes Your Network and Pace

San Francisco may only be 7x7 miles, but each neighborhood has its own identity - and the wrong fit can slow you down fast. Post-COVID, the city reshuffled. Some pockets exploded with startup energy again, others quietened down.

Selecting where you live is probably the biggest decision you will make when you relocate and your choice can have a major impact on how you view a city and how quickly you settle. If you're moving here for tech, don’t choose based on pretty streets or listings alone - choose based on ambition density.

Here’s the real breakdown:

Hayes Valley (aka “Cerebral Valley”) The AI heartbeat of SF. Hacker houses, demo nights, ambitious founders everywhere. If you want to bump into someone building the next LLM product on your morning coffee run, this is ground zero.

Mission District (especially north/east) Still one of the most concentrated startup talent zones. Operators, designers, engineers, indie hackers. Grit, energy, authenticity, and a constant hum of ideas and events.

Dogpatch & Potrero Hill Bright, industrial, creative, and increasingly popular with founders and engineers who want sunlight, space, and a short commute to robotics/AI labs and biotech clusters.

SoMa (select streets only) Still home to co-working hubs, startup offices, and events - but block by block. Choose well and you’re next to accelerators and meetups; choose poorly and you’ll feel disconnected. Walk it before you commit.

North Beach A surprising comeback story - late-night ideas over espresso, crypto/AI dinners, hacker lofts, and that old-school SF soul. Quieter than the Mission, but increasingly a magnet for builders.

Nob Hill / Russian Hill Clean, calm, and residential - a strong base if you want peace, views, and easy access everywhere else without giving up quality of life. Good for people who want to work hard and sleep well.

Castro & Haight-Ashbury Culture, community, personality. Less performance energy, more authenticity. If you want creativity + kindness + history, these neighborhoods still deliver.

Marina / Cow Hollow Health-conscious, social, polished. A lot of young tech professionals here - more “Saturday long run & brunch” than “hackathon in a loft”. Great lifestyle area, lighter on deep-tech gravity.

TL;DR: You’re not choosing a place to live - you’re choosing the pace of your days, the quality of your conversations, and the likelihood that you’ll run into someone building something ambitious.

Do your research and spend time in each neighborhood to discover the right vibe for you.

3. SF Is Expensive - But You're Paying for Acceleration

I know, I know, it is cliched to say that San Francisco is expensive, but you don’t realize just how expensive until you move there. Let’s skip the shock and just get tactical:

Baseline Costs

• $3,100–$3,600/month for a 1-bedroom (higher in SoMa, Mission Bay, Hayes Valley, North Beach)

• $5 for a basic coffee (yes, even drip)

• $18–$22 for a salad or fast-casual lunch

• Bars + restaurants prices are on par with NYC, and in many cases slightly higher for everyday dining

  
  

San Francisco sits in the top two most expensive cities in the US, typically just behind New York on rent - but daily comforts (coffee, lunch, quick dinners) can edge higher here.

You will laugh, then cry, and then just… accept it

The trade-off

The reality is San Francisco isn’t cheap - and you’re not paying for bigger apartments, nicer supermarkets, or calmer commutes.

You’re paying for proximity to people building ambitious things. For the conversations you overhear in line at a coffee shop. For the intros that happen randomly on a Tuesday.

For momentum.

If your company is relocating you here, advocate for yourself:

• A relocation stipend

• Salary adjusted to Bay Area cost of living

• Temporary housing support

• Tax/visa help if you’re moving from overseas

• A real equity discussion - not “trust us, it’ll be worth a lot someday”

And if you’re making the move on your own? Give yourself a runway. Three to six months where you can breathe, explore, meet people, and get into the rhythm of the city.

Think of it less like “rent is expensive” and more like you’re investing in acceleration.

4. Expect Microclimates — Layering Is a Way of Life

Karl the Fog has his own Instagram account for a reason.

“Microclimate” was a term I was unfamiliar with before arriving in San Francisco, but I quickly became acquainted with. As the hot inland air rises the cool breeze from the pacific creates the iconic fog (named after a giant who's misunderstood in the Tim Burton movie “Big Fish”) which cools down the city significantly compared to the East or South Bay.

It means that depending on where you are in the city, you can experience different weather block to block and hour to hour.

Simple rule: always carry layers. Yes, even in July.

This isn’t weather advice - it’s energy management advice. Comfort = bandwidth for the hard stuff.

5. Tax & Tipping - Learn the System Fast

The price you see is not the price you pay. Sales Tax is added to the bill at the end of a meal or at the till in a shop so don’t be surprised when you’re asked to cough up more than you thought!

Here’s the US reality:

• Menu price ≠ final price

• Sales tax added at checkout

• Tipping 15–20% is not optional - it's income for people

At first you’ll double-take at every receipt. After a month, you’ll just shrug and tap.

Bonus: The Part Nobody Tells You

San Francisco is an incredible city to live professionally and personally. You will find more networking opportunities here than any other city in the world and people are always happy to stop and help you out. 

You’ll find:

• More networking density than anywhere else

• People who are happy to make intros

• World-class food and outdoors

• A genuinely electric feeling of possibility

  
  

San Francisco isn’t perfect. But if you’re ambitious, curious, and willing to do the work, it’s one of the most powerful places in the world to accelerate your startup career.

FAQs

Is it worth moving to San Francisco for a startup job?

If you want to learn fast, build fast, and surround yourself with ambitious operators, yes - San Francisco is still one of the best accelerators for startup careers.

Do I need a startup job offer before moving to San Francisco?

Not always - but 3–6 months of runway and building your network early gives you a strong advantage.

What is the hiring culture like at San Francisco startups?

Fast, direct, and ownership-driven. Founders hire for intent, pace, and problem-solving ability - not pedigree alone.

What should I know before relocating to San Francisco for a tech job?

Expect higher living costs, a fast-paced network-driven environment, and a steep career acceleration curve if you lean in.

People Also Ask:

When is the best time to move to SF for a startup career?

The best time is when you have financial runway and momentum - not when you're burned out or unclear about your goals.

How do you break into the SF tech scene after moving?

Show up to events, ask for intros, join operator communities, and meet people in person. Warm introductions outperform cold applications here.

Is SF still relevant for AI and tech careers?

Yes - especially for AI, robotics, and early-stage venture-backed startups. SF has regained energy as the “Cerebral Valley” hub.

Where do startup candidates network in San Francisco?

Mission, Hayes Valley, SoMa coworking hubs, founder dinners, operator meetups, AI hacker houses, and niche Slack/Discord communities.