Denver vs San Francisco Cost of Living
Denver (United States) · Overall index 73.1 — San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1
Summary
- Overall, San Francisco is 30% more expensive than Denver.
- Rent in San Francisco is 74% more expensive than in Denver.
- Transport in San Francisco is 30% more expensive than in Denver.
| Item | Denver | San Francisco | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +74% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,248 | $3,208 | +43% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,456 | $2,609 | +79% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,827 | $7,487 | +96% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,693 | $4,864 | +81% |
| Groceries | +13% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.33 | $1.31 | -2% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.19 | $4.2 | +32% |
| Rice (1kg) | $4.95 | $5.82 | +18% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.77 | $4.57 | -4% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $13.4 | $16.3 | +22% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12.1 | $12.6 | +4% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $17.4 | $22.3 | +28% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.16 | $5.88 | +14% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.93 | $2.46 | +27% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.97 | $4.54 | +14% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.33 | $5.5 | +3% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.73 | $3.06 | +12% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.77 | $2.72 | -2% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.21 | $2.75 | +24% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.24 | $2.41 | +8% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $13.3 | $15.4 | +16% |
| Transport | +30% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.38 | $3.1 | +30% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $92.3 | $139 | +51% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.37 | $4.48 | +33% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.57 | $1.91 | +22% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.77 | $0.99 | +29% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $23,266 | $27,640 | +19% |
| Dining out | +22% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $19.5 | $21.5 | +10% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $103 | $115 | +12% |
| Fast food combo meal | $10.2 | $11.6 | +14% |
| Cappuccino | $4.48 | $5.52 | +23% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.53 | $3.04 | +20% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.79 | $8.59 | +48% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $6.93 | $8.71 | +26% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.89 | $2.32 | +23% |
| Telecom | +18% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $52.7 | $68.5 | +30% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $61.6 | $71.8 | +17% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.32 | $0.37 | +16% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $14.3 | $15.8 | +10% |
| Utilities & household | +17% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $168 | $176 | +5% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.21 | $0.23 | +10% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.61 | $5.1 | +11% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.31 | $1.47 | +12% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $22.8 | $25.8 | +13% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $75.8 | $94.8 | +25% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $12.5 | $17.5 | +40% |
| Men's haircut | $27.7 | $33.2 | +20% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $21.4 | $29.6 | +38% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,104 | $2,199 | +5% |
3,534 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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