San Francisco vs Houston Cost of Living
San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1 — Houston (United States) · Overall index 64.2
Summary
- Overall, Houston is 32% cheaper than San Francisco.
- Rent in Houston is 58% cheaper than in San Francisco.
- Transport in Houston is 29% cheaper than in San Francisco.
| Item | San Francisco | Houston | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -58% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,208 | $1,545 | -52% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,609 | $987 | -62% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $7,487 | $3,154 | -58% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $4,864 | $2,052 | -58% |
| Groceries | -19% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.31 | $1.05 | -20% |
| White bread (500g) | $4.2 | $3.3 | -21% |
| Rice (1kg) | $5.82 | $3.93 | -32% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.57 | $3.8 | -17% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $16.3 | $12.1 | -26% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12.6 | $9.92 | -21% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $22.3 | $14.4 | -35% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.88 | $4.86 | -17% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $2.46 | $1.96 | -20% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.54 | $4.3 | -5% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.5 | $4.92 | -11% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.06 | $2.66 | -13% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.72 | $2.22 | -18% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.75 | $2.46 | -11% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.41 | $1.93 | -20% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $15.4 | $13.3 | -14% |
| Transport | -29% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $3.1 | $2.06 | -34% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $139 | $92.2 | -34% |
| Taxi, base fare | $4.48 | $2.93 | -35% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.91 | $1.58 | -17% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.99 | $0.68 | -31% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $27,640 | $22,095 | -20% |
| Dining out | -24% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $21.5 | $20 | -7% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $115 | $85 | -26% |
| Fast food combo meal | $11.6 | $9.59 | -17% |
| Cappuccino | $5.52 | $4.65 | -16% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.04 | $2 | -34% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $8.59 | $5.86 | -32% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $8.71 | $6.42 | -26% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.32 | $1.58 | -32% |
| Telecom | -23% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $68.5 | $57.6 | -16% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $71.8 | $51.1 | -29% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.37 | $0.27 | -27% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $15.8 | $12.3 | -22% |
| Utilities & household | -21% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $176 | $133 | -24% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.23 | $0.2 | -13% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $5.1 | $3.71 | -27% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.47 | $1.11 | -24% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $25.8 | $19.9 | -23% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $94.8 | $73.6 | -22% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $17.5 | $13.6 | -22% |
| Men's haircut | $33.2 | $29.3 | -12% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $29.6 | $22.4 | -24% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,199 | $1,832 | -17% |
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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