Hello from Montreal, where everything you said is true for either dollar amount, even in Canadian dollars. And indeed, tech salaries in that range are plenty available here. The low end of tech salaries is below $80k, but the threshold where things start getting tight is also below $80k, so no problem.
(Of course $200k will allow faster growth of savings and investment or a more luxurious lifestyle, but even $80k can work here for comfortable middle-class living.)
I guess I should clarify that my perspective is from US urban areas, and the single biggest risk people in the US face is having a health issue which forces you to not be able to work, and deal with extremely high medical care costs.
For me, comfortable middle class living does not just include the food/shelter you need, but also protection from volatility such as changes in labor market, your family members’ health, and ability to take leave from work. As the US doesn’t provide any of this, you have to pay for it, in the form of savings and investments for yourself.
The other component of it is that in my lifetime, the income/wealth gap has grown and grown. Opportunities for your children decrease if you don’t stay ahead of the curve, so this is also another risk to protect against by earning enough to be able to live in the better school districts and provide your kids with a better shot of income stability for their future.
(Of course $200k will allow faster growth of savings and investment or a more luxurious lifestyle, but even $80k can work here for comfortable middle-class living.)