Los Angeles vs San Francisco Cost of Living
Los Angeles (United States) · Overall index 84.3 — San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1
Summary
- Overall, San Francisco is 13% more expensive than Los Angeles.
- Rent in San Francisco is 25% more expensive than in Los Angeles.
- Telecom in San Francisco is 17% more expensive than in Los Angeles.
| Item | Los Angeles | San Francisco | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +25% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,015 | $3,208 | +6% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,094 | $2,609 | +25% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,390 | $7,487 | +39% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $3,727 | $4,864 | +31% |
| Groceries | +5% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.22 | $1.31 | +7% |
| White bread (500g) | $4.23 | $4.2 | -1% |
| Rice (1kg) | $5.36 | $5.82 | +9% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.45 | $4.57 | +3% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $12.9 | $16.3 | +26% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $13.9 | $12.6 | -9% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $19.4 | $22.3 | +15% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.63 | $5.88 | +4% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $2.08 | $2.46 | +18% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.73 | $4.54 | -4% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.89 | $5.5 | -7% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.66 | $3.06 | +15% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.62 | $2.72 | +4% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.64 | $2.75 | +4% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.4 | $2.41 | 0% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $15.1 | $15.4 | +2% |
| Transport | +12% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.52 | $3.1 | +23% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $123 | $139 | +13% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.66 | $4.48 | +22% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.93 | $1.91 | -1% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.95 | $0.99 | +4% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $24,629 | $27,640 | +12% |
| Dining out | +9% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $19.4 | $21.5 | +11% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $120 | $115 | -4% |
| Fast food combo meal | $10.6 | $11.6 | +9% |
| Cappuccino | $5.3 | $5.52 | +4% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.52 | $3.04 | +21% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $7.79 | $8.59 | +10% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $8.45 | $8.71 | +3% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.83 | $2.32 | +27% |
| Telecom | +17% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $53.8 | $68.5 | +27% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $58.1 | $71.8 | +24% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.32 | $0.37 | +16% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $15 | $15.8 | +5% |
| Utilities & household | +4% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $181 | $176 | -3% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.24 | $0.23 | -4% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.85 | $5.1 | +5% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.31 | $1.47 | +12% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $22.7 | $25.8 | +14% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $88.5 | $94.8 | +7% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $16.8 | $17.5 | +4% |
| Men's haircut | $30.7 | $33.2 | +8% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $27.9 | $29.6 | +6% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,276 | $2,199 | -3% |
3,327 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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