I used to live in Fairfield, which is midway between SF and the state capital. It is in Solano County, which is basically the cheap seats of the Bay Area. It likely won't be quite the hot spot you are looking for, but last I heard, about 40% of people in Solano commute to jobs outside the county in other (pricier) parts of the Bay Area. Some people even do that without a car. Transportation alternatives in the Bay Area are almost as good as Europe (or at least way better than anything else I have personally seen elsewhere in the US). There is commuter rail, decent bus service, and all kinds of creative options that for me were strange and new.

So if you can find a place in Solano County, you can reduce your living expenses somewhat. (Last I checked, for $1k/mo in SF, you can get an SRO rental...but there may be a waiting list and it's a total dive. It's possible to work full time and be homeless in SF.)