Would that scale for someone who wanted to do an extended visit to the Bay Area? (say a month or so)
I'd like to visit San Francisco, but, apart from the US Visa and airfare, accomodation doesn't seem cheap (I haven't researched much but it comes up all the time here on HN). Food, oddly enough, sounds cheaper than in my 3rd world country.
Have you researched hostels? They're still not cheap by the standards of developing countries, but when I stayed in SF a few years ago, a bed at a hostel could be had for a fifth of what a hotel would have cost me, and certainly beats sleeping in a car. On the other hand, I found food shockingly expensive, and I come from Germany.
Interesting. I've stayed in hostels, and they are indeed cheap, and no, I haven't researched at all, it was just a thought. I haven't seen AirBnB either :)
I think it would suck if you were not actually familiar with the area first. I'd just do a hostel or cheap hotel or crash with friends (couchsurfing, etc.) Also, hotel rates now are a lot higher than they were in 2002-2003 (which was the middle of a tech recession).
Craigslist used to have short-term sublet inventory, but now it's pretty weak.
I'd like to visit San Francisco, but, apart from the US Visa and airfare, accomodation doesn't seem cheap (I haven't researched much but it comes up all the time here on HN). Food, oddly enough, sounds cheaper than in my 3rd world country.