It's really a perspective and "keeping up with the Jones's" situation.
You are a tech engineer and "live comfortably" means that you "live like a tech engineer" in the area. Which means "not making financial sacrifices to work at company X".
Live comfortably for some people means single family home with yard, 4 bedrooms, 2-3 annual vacations, eating out once a week, shopping at expensive grocery stores, etc. etc.
Now put all these $200k or dual income $400k people in the same area and it becomes a race to the bottom of "who is willing to live closest to paycheck to paycheck".
You are a tech engineer and "live comfortably" means that you "live like a tech engineer" in the area. Which means "not making financial sacrifices to work at company X".
Live comfortably for some people means single family home with yard, 4 bedrooms, 2-3 annual vacations, eating out once a week, shopping at expensive grocery stores, etc. etc.
Now put all these $200k or dual income $400k people in the same area and it becomes a race to the bottom of "who is willing to live closest to paycheck to paycheck".