I have a roommate, which is pretty essential to affordable living in a place with expensive real estate. I live in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, which is a very different neighborhood from what it was in 2001. I eat out a lot, travel reasonably often, ride bikes on the regular, attend events regularly, and so on— it's certainly possible to spend more on lifestyle, but I don't think it would make me much happier.

Tech job benefits certainly help keep expenses reasonable, too.