Either I missed or was added in an edit the bit about having roommates. That's definitely absurd. I was paying that amount for an entire house in a nice suburb maybe 8 or 9 years ago. Even with only one roommate paying the same amount, they are together paying way more than my mortgage for a house in the country with 5 acres of land and waterfront along one entire side.

I imagine they're in a high cost of living area, where tons of other people want to live. If that's the case, it probably shouldn't be any surprise that in a supply restricted market, the prices are also very high.