How expensive is San Francisco compared to the rest of United States?

San Francisco ranks #7 out of 577 cities globally. It is 45.8% more expensive than the United States average, based on 82 cities. The rent index is 75.9 and local purchasing power is 153.0.

What is the average rent in San Francisco?

A 1-bedroom apartment in San Francisco city centre costs approximately USD 3,679 per month. Outside the centre, rent drops to USD 2,619 (saving 29%). A 3-bedroom apartment in the centre costs around USD 5,625.

Is San Francisco affordable to live in?

San Francisco is very expensive by global standards. Groceries are expensive, restaurants are very expensive, and local purchasing power is average.

🇺🇸 CA, United States · 2026

Coste de Vida en San Francisco

45.8% por encima del promedio de United States

Posición #7 de 577 ciudades · Más cara que el 98.8% de las ciudades del mundo

+45.8%

Coste de Vida

+83.8%

Alquiler

+15.4%

Supermercado

+6.1%

Poder Adquisitivo

Comparado con el promedio de United States · Ver ranking de United States →

Precios de Alquiler en San Francisco

Apartamento	Centro	Fuera del Centro	Ahorras
1 Dormitorio	USD 3,679/mo	USD 2,619/mo	29%
3 Dormitorios	USD 5,625/mo	USD 4,604/mo	18%

Numbeo · 2026-10-02

Prices of Goods & Services in San Francisco

Groceries

Item	Price	Sources
Apples (1kg)	$7.07	2 sources
Beer (0.5L, supermarket)	$2.86	2 sources
Bread (500g)	$4.73	2 sources
Local cheese (1kg)	$22.18	2 sources
Chicken (1kg)	$14.11	2 sources
Cigarettes (Marlboro)	$14.00	2 sources
Eggs (12)	$8.30	2 sources
Milk (1L)	$1.66	2 sources
Potatoes (1kg)	$3.79	2 sources
Tomatoes (1kg)	$7.40	2 sources
Water (1.5L)	$2.99	1 source
Wine (mid-range)	$19.00	2 sources

Apples (1kg)

$7.07

Beer (0.5L, supermarket)

$2.86

Bread (500g)

$4.73

Local cheese (1kg)

$22.18

Chicken (1kg)

$14.11

Cigarettes (Marlboro)

$14.00

Eggs (12)

$8.30

Milk (1L)

$1.66

Potatoes (1kg)

$3.79

Tomatoes (1kg)

$7.40

Water (1.5L)

$2.99

Wine (mid-range)

$19.00

Restaurants

Item	Price	Sources
Draft beer (0.5L)	$8.00	2 sources
Cappuccino	$6.33	2 sources
McMeal	$13.50	2 sources
Cheap meal	$25.00	2 sources
Mid-range dinner (2 people)	$140.50	2 sources

Draft beer (0.5L)

$8.00

Cappuccino

$6.33

McMeal

$13.50

Cheap meal

$25.00

Mid-range dinner (2 people)

$140.50

Clothing & Shoes

Item	Price	Sources
Business shoes (leather)	$180.38	2 sources
Jeans (Levi's 501)	$69.81	2 sources
Sport shoes (Nike)	$105.90	2 sources
Summer dress (Zara/H&M)	$48.30	2 sources

Business shoes (leather)

$180.38

Jeans (Levi's 501)

$69.81

Sport shoes (Nike)

$105.90

Summer dress (Zara/H&M)

$48.30

Leisure

Item	Price	Sources
Cinema ticket	$18.00	2 sources
Gym membership	$103.79	2 sources

Cinema ticket

$18.00

Gym membership

$103.79

Transportation

Item	Price	Sources
Gasoline (1L)	$1.31	2 sources
Taxi start	$4.15	1 source
Monthly pass	$102.50	2 sources

Gasoline (1L)

$1.31

Taxi start

$4.15

Monthly pass

$102.50

Utilities

Item	Price	Sources
Basic utilities (85m²)	$206.08	2 sources

Basic utilities (85m²)

$206.08

Prices in local currency, cross-referenced from multiple independent sources. October 2026.

Multi-Source Comparison

★★★ High Confidence

San Francisco has a cost of living index of 84.1 (New York = 100, rent included), the average of 3 of 4 data sources. LivingCost is left out because it sits more than 15% away from the others.

84.1

Index

Sources

2.4

Gap between sources

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo

84.0

Expatistan

83.0

LivingCost

97.8

left out

ShouldIMove price index

85.4

ShouldIMove price index: our own basket of real item prices plus rent.

Eurostat Validation (EU27 = 100) Gov. Data

Eurostat

156.6

Based on 108 country PLI x 1.45 city factor

View all 577 cities | Data last updated: 2026-03-18

Índices de Coste

Coste de Vida

+45.8% Very expensive

Alquiler

+83.8% Very expensive

Supermercado

+15.4% Expensive

Restaurantes

+25.4% Very expensive

Poder Adquisitivo

+6.1% Average

Vivir en San Francisco: Qué Esperar

San Francisco es very expensive según estándares globales (puesto #7 de 577 ciudades). Está 45.8% más caro que el promedio de United States, basado en 82 ciudades.

Los comestibles son expensive, mientras que comer fuera es very expensive. Groceries ofrece el mejor valor, mientras que Rent es lo más caro.

El poder adquisitivo local es fuerte: los residentes pueden permitirse más bienes y servicios que en la mayoría de ciudades.