just wanted to chime in as a San Francisco resident thats looking to go to NYC. So far the prices I've heard for NYC dont scare me. Im more afraid of giving up GOOD produce for the shitty dried up stuff that passed off as produce in NYC. To get the the point, I'm in Sf and I tend to have good luch with places. My current place is around 700 per person and its four of us total with a garage, full kitchen and a backyard. Before that I paid 550 a person with four people. The cost of living here is OK and I think its the same for NYC, nothing beats Aspen CO however, that places is completely redonculous with everything. Five dollar quarts of milk, eight dollar quarts of OJ!
I've visited San Francisco and you're right the cost of living is about the same. SF reminded me so much of NYC, I think that's why I wouldn't be able to live there, its way too similar some streets even look almost the same ... if I'd move I'd move someplace completely different but on a monetary level its the same.