> Seems like it would be okay temporarily until you get a raise and the stock options kick in.

In practice it doesn't work like that, usually people who start with those kind of salaries get stuck as a permanent underclass in the Bay. When I was working in biotech out in SF plenty of people were getting like 45K and just expected to make it work. The places who were really on top of it would be pretty overt about making examples of people regularly to remind the staff that another guy or girl from India could be imported in tomorrow.

> While single and working at a startup back in the dot-com days

Unfortunately you don't have a good perspective, since you were sort of carried along and "made it" by dint of timing and location.

These days when you accept salaries that low you’re effectively locking yourself into them for a good long time.