I don't know if that's sarcasm, but you pay that in most large US cities for housing and nearly that for a burger (a nice burger, or one with a drink and a side - obviously not from McDonalds or similar).
The rent is not bad for a nice, low-crime, walkable/bikeable, stuff-happenin' urban area, that's true. Certainly cheaper than NYC/Boston/SF. And you can pay less than $1500/mo if you're willing to go 20 minutes out on commuter rail.
Eating out is pretty pricey, though, unless your reference point is Norway. You can pay $30 for a burger+beer in the U.S., but it has to be something pretty unusual. On the other hand, one reason eating out is pricey is that wages are more equal, which I generally like. As a tech person, in the U.S. things are cheap because one hour of a tech person's earnings pays for like 5-20 hours of a restaurant worker's time, but in Denmark it pays for more like 2-3 hours of their time.
Well, pre-tax and tip, a burger at most sit-downy restaurants these days is 11-13 bucks, that's with no avocado bacon mushrooms whatever. Get a drink for $2.75 and with tax and tip you're at about $20, which was the originally quoted number.
For what it's worth, I agree that equality in wages is a good thing.
Ummm, I'm used to rents on _houses_ being about $1,200-$1,500/month, and a good burger costing $10-15 on its own. I live in the prosperous capital of a Western state with a good tech job market, FWIW.
I'm comparing to places I've lived and cared about rent in, which are Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and now Seattle. You'll never find a _house_ for anywhere near that anywhere near these places.
