Duh! Those places are probably also the most expensive to buy. I don't really know about the Bay Area but I would bet that rents are probably "cheap" compared

Duh! Those places are probably also the most expensive to buy. I don't really know about the Bay Area but I would bet that rents are probably "cheap" compared to prices. Where I live, it currently takes 30 annual rents to buy the same place. The average over the last couple of decades is 26 annual rents. Which means renting has relatively become cheaper. I bet the same holds true for the Bay Area.