Sure and I bet you could find a $500/mo room in a crack house. Doesn't mean a working professional would be willing to live there.

Frankly a realistic number is $3000/mo for a 1BR and my point is that you could own an incredible home in most of the country for that price. People in SV have Stockholm Syndrome and justify the horrendous cost of living, rampant homelessness, insane working hours etc. with their cries of "but look at all my stock options!"

Meanwhile their counterparts in places like Austin make over $100k, can easily own a substantial home, have excellent life-work balance and shocker... have SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS as well.