Austin vs San Francisco Cost of Living
Austin (United States) · Overall index 70.9 — San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1
Summary
- Overall, San Francisco is 34% more expensive than Austin.
- Rent in San Francisco is 97% more expensive than in Austin.
- Dining out in San Francisco is 23% more expensive than in Austin.
| Item | Austin | San Francisco | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +97% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,819 | $3,208 | +76% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,426 | $2,609 | +83% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,531 | $7,487 | +112% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,256 | $4,864 | +116% |
| Groceries | +15% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.27 | $1.31 | +3% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.66 | $4.2 | +15% |
| Rice (1kg) | $4.82 | $5.82 | +21% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.39 | $4.57 | +4% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $11.1 | $16.3 | +47% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $10 | $12.6 | +26% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $15.8 | $22.3 | +41% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.26 | $5.88 | +12% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.75 | $2.46 | +41% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.2 | $4.54 | +8% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $4.66 | $5.5 | +18% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.94 | $3.06 | +4% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.75 | $2.72 | -1% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.48 | $2.75 | +11% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.21 | $2.41 | +9% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $15.2 | $15.4 | +1% |
| Transport | +23% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.4 | $3.1 | +29% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $101 | $139 | +38% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.24 | $4.48 | +38% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.73 | $1.91 | +10% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.89 | $0.99 | +11% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $24,355 | $27,640 | +13% |
| Dining out | +23% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $21.8 | $21.5 | -1% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $99.9 | $115 | +15% |
| Fast food combo meal | $10.9 | $11.6 | +6% |
| Cappuccino | $5 | $5.52 | +10% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.08 | $3.04 | +46% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.5 | $8.59 | +56% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $7.14 | $8.71 | +22% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.6 | $2.32 | +45% |
| Telecom | +20% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $57.2 | $68.5 | +20% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $59.8 | $71.8 | +20% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.31 | $0.37 | +19% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.3 | $15.8 | +19% |
| Utilities & household | +20% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $157 | $176 | +12% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.21 | $0.23 | +10% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.67 | $5.1 | +9% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.15 | $1.47 | +28% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $18.8 | $25.8 | +37% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $77.3 | $94.8 | +23% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $15.3 | $17.5 | +14% |
| Men's haircut | $30.2 | $33.2 | +10% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $20.7 | $29.6 | +43% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,799 | $2,199 | +22% |
3,408 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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