>> Groceries cost anywhere between 25% and 100% more depending on the item (200% more if you shop at Safeway). Gas costs ~50% more. Electric is 200% more unless you live in Santa Clara, in which case it's roughly normal. Water costs more.

This thread is about someone working at Meta or similar FAANG. At those levels you make around 500k$/year as an engineer (a lot of times more).

What you are highlighting above is at maximum a difference of ~1000$/month of increase... 12k$/year. That is almost insignificant.

And you forgot to mention that those companies will bump your salary by 10-20% if you move to the Bay Area. Which covers more than the difference.