San Francisco vs Boston Cost of Living
San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1 — Boston (United States) · Overall index 84.9
Summary
- Overall, Boston is 11% cheaper than San Francisco.
- Rent in Boston is 17% cheaper than in San Francisco.
- Telecom in Boston is 14% cheaper than in San Francisco.
| Item | San Francisco | Boston | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -17% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,208 | $3,269 | +2% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,609 | $1,931 | -26% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $7,487 | $5,699 | -24% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $4,864 | $4,016 | -17% |
| Groceries | -2% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.31 | $1.23 | -6% |
| White bread (500g) | $4.2 | $3.9 | -7% |
| Rice (1kg) | $5.82 | $5.61 | -4% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.57 | $4.67 | +2% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $16.3 | $13.9 | -15% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12.6 | $12 | -5% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $22.3 | $20 | -10% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.88 | $6.14 | +4% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $2.46 | $2.28 | -7% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.54 | $4.62 | +2% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.5 | $5.51 | 0% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.06 | $3.25 | +6% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.72 | $2.95 | +8% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.75 | $2.84 | +3% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.41 | $2.22 | -8% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $15.4 | $16.2 | +5% |
| Transport | -13% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $3.1 | $2.61 | -16% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $139 | $114 | -18% |
| Taxi, base fare | $4.48 | $3.53 | -21% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.91 | $1.74 | -9% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.99 | $0.86 | -13% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $27,640 | $28,251 | +2% |
| Dining out | -10% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $21.5 | $22.5 | +5% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $115 | $120 | +4% |
| Fast food combo meal | $11.6 | $10.3 | -11% |
| Cappuccino | $5.52 | $4.9 | -11% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.04 | $2.58 | -15% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $8.59 | $7.54 | -12% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $8.71 | $7.42 | -15% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.32 | $1.86 | -20% |
| Telecom | -14% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $68.5 | $53.5 | -22% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $71.8 | $66.8 | -7% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.37 | $0.32 | -14% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $15.8 | $13.5 | -15% |
| Utilities & household | -9% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $176 | $161 | -9% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.23 | $0.2 | -13% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $5.1 | $4.73 | -7% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.47 | $1.61 | +10% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $25.8 | $23.6 | -9% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $94.8 | $83.8 | -12% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $17.5 | $14.9 | -15% |
| Men's haircut | $33.2 | $30.1 | -9% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $29.6 | $27.4 | -7% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,199 | $1,899 | -14% |
3,369 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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