If you work in Sorrento Valley (QCOM, biotech), Encinitas isn’t that awful of a commute. Frankly the commute in SD at 5 PM is pretty bad unless you live near where you work.
I get your dislike of Carmel Valley. The bang for the buck is pretty low there. It’s near coastal prices without serious coastal benefits, aside from being a bit cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter than those of us east of the 15.
