COBRA costs more than my rent, what did you do?, payroll clerk here

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a payroll clerk. I have read a lot of threads here and could not find my exact situation. My old employer will not help with the premium. Did anyone switch mid-year?

I priced both side by side: total yearly cost, doctors in network and the deductible. Marketplace was cheaper for us, but only because our doctors were covered.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 11 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.