Hence it is not housing costs “forcing” people to compete, it is people’s desire to have more than others.
Which is not necessarily a bad thing, it is very well possible the lower priced housing has unacceptable attributes, but that leads to different causal factors.
Where you live also determine access to jobs, educations, and other opportunities.
Cities are more valuable for this reason.
It is also determined by housing supply in a given location and transportation policies, how we decided that homes are investments which increases exclusionary NIMBY behaviors.
It is not merely 'desire to have more' than the other that determine the cost of living.
Which is not necessarily a bad thing, it is very well possible the lower priced housing has unacceptable attributes, but that leads to different causal factors.