I moved from a town where it was hard to breathe because of the nearby toxic factories. During the winter, we'd have acid rain.

I now live in the Pacific Northwest. Housing is crazy expensive. Everyone wants to live here.

But my quality of living improved dramatically. No more being sick for 2-3 weeks a year. I owned a car that required yearly repairs because of how f'd up the roads were. I sold that because public transportation is so good. I go on hikes. Food diversity is better. Everyone is pleasant to talk to. A crazy homeless man apologized for yelling too much and a nice old lady walked him to get a sandwich. The biggest drama in my neighborhood is someone's tomatoes growing too wild and is encroaching into another neighbor's vegetables. I work remotely, and my wife found a job here, and we are paid significantly higher than before to compensate for the expenses.

Even though I'm paying a shitton for a small place that would have been a mansion in my old hick town, my quality of living skyrocketed.

It's definitely worth it. And if you're too concerned about the cost of living, try living here for a year. Don't be sticker shocked.