The way to make this work is to live in the high cost/high income area until you are ready to retire, then move to a much lower cost of living area.
Even if you still have a mortgage, when you sell, your equity will buy a paid-off house in a low cost area, and a pension plus SS will go a lot further. Roll your 401(k) over into an IRA and handle everything over the internet.
Life is good.
That’s the strategy I’ve been working on and I am close to the endpoint.