I live in NYC, you can find cheap places if you look around Queens, Brooklyn, or Jersey City. None of them have the troubles of Oakland (crime).
Eg, Queens is very safe, but kinda "boring", hence the cheap prices.
Is $1800 really "cheap"? That might be cheap to people who are making close to 6-figures, but that isn't remotely affordable for a large percentage of the population.
Life-long Brooklyn resident here. Not it isnt cheap...i dont think anyone claimed it was cheap -- they just claimed that high-density housing (like Manhattan and northern Brooklyn) is more effective on a relative scale as compared to the Bay Area.
I've tried to make the math work every which way - the Bay Are is just out of control, even compared to NYC prices. NYC compensates quite well by building upwards rather than outwards, this has a second benefit of reducing commutes (again, on a relative scale compared to the Bay Area.)
All within 20 mins of subway within Manhattan.
https://streeteasy.com/for-rent/queens/price:-2500%7Cbeds:1
Also, if you want something a bit more trendy and family friendly, you can find plenty of apt. in Park Slope, (the equivalent of Noe Valley)
https://streeteasy.com/for-rent/park-slope/price:-2500%7Cbed...
SF just doesn't have the same amount of options.