When I first moved to the area with a friend I rented a fifth wheel trailer in the back of some guy's yard in Morgan Hill and my friend rented the shed outside (but he had a futon, electricity, a little heater, his computer...)

That was what we could afford at the time, until stuff took off.

I am so glad I did it though. The area is a lot better fit for me than Western PA although you give up a lot of freedoms. Definitely can't walk outside and shoot guns in your back yard :)

Pretty much I pay to be around other smart people.

I'm not sure any location in the world with a high concentration of a valuable talent/skill will have cheap living expenses.