<prompt> Human: Im currently considering two job offers. One is in a low cost of living area where I can get a 4 bedroom house for 200k and the other is in a high cost of living area where I can get a 4 bedroom house for 1.5 million. The 200k house is actually nicer in terms of property size and beauty of the house, but the more expensive house is in a nicer area. Im on the fence as to which combo is the best for me from a fun standpoint. Fortunately, the salaries are balanced just such that I end up with the same take home pay when accounting for property tax, state taxes, etc. From a strictly financial standpoint, is the more expensive home actually a better option since I have the potential to earn more from the same percent appreciation?  <response>: As far as the appreciation question it really wouldnt matter much financially. Sure if they both appreciated at the same rate your actual dollar return would be higher on the more expensive home. But your initial investment would be considerably higher so the only thing that really matters there is your percentage return on investment. More expensive homes are usually quicker to devalue in a down market as well. If you have the money for either option then itd come down to location preference or job preference it sounds like. 