Houston vs San Francisco Cost of Living
Houston (United States) · Overall index 64.2 — San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1
Summary
- Overall, San Francisco is 48% more expensive than Houston.
- Rent in San Francisco is 136% more expensive than in Houston.
- Transport in San Francisco is 40% more expensive than in Houston.
| Item | Houston | San Francisco | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +136% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,545 | $3,208 | +108% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $987 | $2,609 | +164% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,154 | $7,487 | +137% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,052 | $4,864 | +137% |
| Groceries | +24% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.05 | $1.31 | +25% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.3 | $4.2 | +27% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.93 | $5.82 | +48% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.8 | $4.57 | +20% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $12.1 | $16.3 | +35% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $9.92 | $12.6 | +27% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $14.4 | $22.3 | +55% |
| Apples (1kg) | $4.86 | $5.88 | +21% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.96 | $2.46 | +26% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.3 | $4.54 | +6% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $4.92 | $5.5 | +12% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.66 | $3.06 | +15% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.22 | $2.72 | +23% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.46 | $2.75 | +12% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.93 | $2.41 | +25% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $13.3 | $15.4 | +16% |
| Transport | +40% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.06 | $3.1 | +50% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $92.2 | $139 | +51% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.93 | $4.48 | +53% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.58 | $1.91 | +21% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.68 | $0.99 | +46% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $22,095 | $27,640 | +25% |
| Dining out | +32% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $20 | $21.5 | +8% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $85 | $115 | +35% |
| Fast food combo meal | $9.59 | $11.6 | +21% |
| Cappuccino | $4.65 | $5.52 | +19% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2 | $3.04 | +52% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.86 | $8.59 | +47% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $6.42 | $8.71 | +36% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.58 | $2.32 | +47% |
| Telecom | +31% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $57.6 | $68.5 | +19% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $51.1 | $71.8 | +41% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.27 | $0.37 | +37% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $12.3 | $15.8 | +28% |
| Utilities & household | +27% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $133 | $176 | +32% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.2 | $0.23 | +15% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $3.71 | $5.1 | +37% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.11 | $1.47 | +32% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $19.9 | $25.8 | +30% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $73.6 | $94.8 | +29% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $13.6 | $17.5 | +29% |
| Men's haircut | $29.3 | $33.2 | +13% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $22.4 | $29.6 | +32% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,832 | $2,199 | +20% |
3,303 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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