There's definitely something to be said for the rate at which you can learn to be a strong developer in SV / similar tech hubs, because there's a lot of good mentors in the area to absorb knowledge from.
SV is not the only tech hub in the country. Others are also expensive, but not that expensive. And if you're willing to tolerate commutes as long as SV, then it can be much cheaper.
I've started a new job twice in the last 6 years working remotely from North Carolina (after already having been established here in NC), and not in one of the tech-heavy areas (RTP / Charlotte).
In the first remote job I worked nearly 3 years at a Santa Clara, CA startup. I've been almost 3 years at a large 10K-plus employee Mountain View, CA company now ... first non-startup in 20+ years. It helped that both jobs came through my network.
The short answer is no. I find people that attempt to do this without having worked in the valley always end up with some milquetoast quality to them that people in the valley can always pick up on. You could maybe fool people who are not from the valley, but you will never fool the valley.
The much longer answer is yes, but I do not have the time to explain it.
Can't you do that without doing time in Silicon Valley?