Philadelphia vs San Francisco Cost of Living
Philadelphia (United States) · Overall index 69.8 — San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1
Summary
- Overall, San Francisco is 36% more expensive than Philadelphia.
- Rent in San Francisco is 103% more expensive than in Philadelphia.
- Transport in San Francisco is 32% more expensive than in Philadelphia.
| Item | Philadelphia | San Francisco | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +103% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,792 | $3,208 | +79% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,341 | $2,609 | +95% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,174 | $7,487 | +136% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,384 | $4,864 | +104% |
| Groceries | +15% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.29 | $1.31 | +2% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.87 | $4.2 | +9% |
| Rice (1kg) | $4.06 | $5.82 | +43% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.69 | $4.57 | -3% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $11.8 | $16.3 | +38% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $10.1 | $12.6 | +25% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $18.6 | $22.3 | +20% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.15 | $5.88 | +14% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.93 | $2.46 | +27% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.39 | $4.54 | +3% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $4.45 | $5.5 | +24% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.56 | $3.06 | +20% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.4 | $2.72 | +13% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.53 | $2.75 | +9% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.2 | $2.41 | +10% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $14.5 | $15.4 | +6% |
| Transport | +32% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.99 | $3.1 | +56% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $96 | $139 | +45% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.28 | $4.48 | +37% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.42 | $1.91 | +35% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.86 | $0.99 | +15% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $24,387 | $27,640 | +13% |
| Dining out | +20% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $20.9 | $21.5 | +3% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $110 | $115 | +5% |
| Fast food combo meal | $10.1 | $11.6 | +15% |
| Cappuccino | $4.76 | $5.52 | +16% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.19 | $3.04 | +39% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $6.57 | $8.59 | +31% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $7.12 | $8.71 | +22% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.65 | $2.32 | +41% |
| Telecom | +21% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $51.4 | $68.5 | +33% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $64.6 | $71.8 | +11% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.31 | $0.37 | +19% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.1 | $15.8 | +21% |
| Utilities & household | +22% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $147 | $176 | +20% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.19 | $0.23 | +21% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.65 | $5.1 | +10% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.27 | $1.47 | +16% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $18.1 | $25.8 | +43% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $71 | $94.8 | +34% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $14.4 | $17.5 | +22% |
| Men's haircut | $28.5 | $33.2 | +16% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $23.9 | $29.6 | +24% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,805 | $2,199 | +22% |
3,325 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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