San Diego vs San Francisco Cost of Living
San Diego (United States) · Overall index 80.0 — San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1
Summary
- Overall, San Francisco is 19% more expensive than San Diego.
- Rent in San Francisco is 38% more expensive than in San Diego.
- Telecom in San Francisco is 19% more expensive than in San Diego.
| Item | San Diego | San Francisco | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +38% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,906 | $3,208 | +10% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,560 | $2,609 | +67% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,348 | $7,487 | +40% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $3,541 | $4,864 | +37% |
| Groceries | +9% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.29 | $1.31 | +2% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.77 | $4.2 | +11% |
| Rice (1kg) | $4.26 | $5.82 | +37% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.41 | $4.57 | +4% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $14.8 | $16.3 | +10% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12.7 | $12.6 | -1% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $19.1 | $22.3 | +17% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.14 | $5.88 | +14% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.82 | $2.46 | +35% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.98 | $4.54 | +14% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.15 | $5.5 | +7% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.07 | $3.06 | 0% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.92 | $2.72 | -7% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.36 | $2.75 | +17% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.61 | $2.41 | -8% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $15.1 | $15.4 | +2% |
| Transport | +12% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.68 | $3.1 | +16% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $122 | $139 | +14% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.68 | $4.48 | +22% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.86 | $1.91 | +3% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.87 | $0.99 | +14% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $26,442 | $27,640 | +5% |
| Dining out | +15% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $22.6 | $21.5 | -5% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $107 | $115 | +7% |
| Fast food combo meal | $11.9 | $11.6 | -3% |
| Cappuccino | $5.18 | $5.52 | +7% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.16 | $3.04 | +41% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.99 | $8.59 | +43% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $7.37 | $8.71 | +18% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.87 | $2.32 | +24% |
| Telecom | +19% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $63.4 | $68.5 | +8% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $55.3 | $71.8 | +30% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.31 | $0.37 | +19% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.3 | $15.8 | +19% |
| Utilities & household | +15% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $153 | $176 | +15% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.2 | $0.23 | +15% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.02 | $5.1 | +27% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.46 | $1.47 | +1% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $20.8 | $25.8 | +24% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $79.6 | $94.8 | +19% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $15.3 | $17.5 | +14% |
| Men's haircut | $27.1 | $33.2 | +23% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $26.6 | $29.6 | +11% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,070 | $2,199 | +6% |
3,084 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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