Maybe OP was stupid to believe the employer or maybe OP completely misread the expectations from the get-go. Regardless, it is BEST for the employer to ensure proper expectations from the start so they don't end up with a mess like this.
If there are not tons of opportunities and room for growth, employees will still agree to work for companies! I had similar expectations at my first company because I was told I could have them. I do not have similar expectations going into my next company, but my job search was filled witch a barrage of recruiters and hiring managers saying they want someone to be committed to the company for long-term and there's lots of room for growth.
I'm taking a job based on what is great in the here and now with expectations to move in at least two years. I think it's a better way, but was painful to learn.
Or if companies only pay low wages then the workers are screwed and have to live poor. There is a reason unions were formed.
It's fallacious to suppose you deserve more money, merely because others in your proximity make more money. This is pure entitlement, devoid of ambition to achieve through hard work.
If you want a different outcome, you either need some form of housing change in SF, organised labour, or realistic minimum wage laws.