[ghull95]

Exactly. Even in decent areas of Oakland you can find sub 1k rent with a roommate. Currently live in an apartment that's a 5 minute walk away from a BART station in Oakland and pay 1800/month for a 1 bedroom that I split. Takes me 35 minutes to get to work in the SF Financial District.

While housing is very expensive here (especially if you have family), there are definitely ways to find cheap housing.

Anecdotally I know people who are renting rooms out of their homes in San Leandro/Hayward for $750/month.