How do I budget in a high cost-of-living city?

In an expensive metro, the standard percentage rules bend, so judge yourself on savings rate rather than on hitting a 30% housing target you can't reach. Housing will likely take a larger share, so the lever is to keep your other big fixed costs – transportation especially – low, often by skipping a car where transit works. Lean on pre-tax accounts hard, since a 401(k), HSA, and commuter or Dependent Care FSA stretch a high salary further against high local prices. The trade-off is real: higher pay often comes with the high costs, so compare your savings rate, not your gross income, to what you'd manage elsewhere. Set a savings-rate floor you protect every month and let the expensive categories flex around it rather than abandoning the plan.