San Francisco vs Los Angeles Cost of Living
San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1 — Los Angeles (United States) · Overall index 84.3
Summary
- Overall, Los Angeles is 11% cheaper than San Francisco.
- Rent in Los Angeles is 20% cheaper than in San Francisco.
- Telecom in Los Angeles is 15% cheaper than in San Francisco.
| Item | San Francisco | Los Angeles | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -20% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,208 | $3,015 | -6% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,609 | $2,094 | -20% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $7,487 | $5,390 | -28% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $4,864 | $3,727 | -23% |
| Groceries | -5% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.31 | $1.22 | -7% |
| White bread (500g) | $4.2 | $4.23 | +1% |
| Rice (1kg) | $5.82 | $5.36 | -8% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.57 | $4.45 | -3% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $16.3 | $12.9 | -21% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12.6 | $13.9 | +10% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $22.3 | $19.4 | -13% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.88 | $5.63 | -4% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $2.46 | $2.08 | -15% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.54 | $4.73 | +4% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.5 | $5.89 | +7% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.06 | $2.66 | -13% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.72 | $2.62 | -4% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.75 | $2.64 | -4% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.41 | $2.4 | 0% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $15.4 | $15.1 | -2% |
| Transport | -11% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $3.1 | $2.52 | -19% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $139 | $123 | -12% |
| Taxi, base fare | $4.48 | $3.66 | -18% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.91 | $1.93 | +1% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.99 | $0.95 | -4% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $27,640 | $24,629 | -11% |
| Dining out | -9% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $21.5 | $19.4 | -10% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $115 | $120 | +4% |
| Fast food combo meal | $11.6 | $10.6 | -9% |
| Cappuccino | $5.52 | $5.3 | -4% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.04 | $2.52 | -17% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $8.59 | $7.79 | -9% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $8.71 | $8.45 | -3% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.32 | $1.83 | -21% |
| Telecom | -15% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $68.5 | $53.8 | -21% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $71.8 | $58.1 | -19% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.37 | $0.32 | -14% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $15.8 | $15 | -5% |
| Utilities & household | -4% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $176 | $181 | +3% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.23 | $0.24 | +4% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $5.1 | $4.85 | -5% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.47 | $1.31 | -11% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $25.8 | $22.7 | -12% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $94.8 | $88.5 | -7% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $17.5 | $16.8 | -4% |
| Men's haircut | $33.2 | $30.7 | -8% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $29.6 | $27.9 | -6% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,199 | $2,276 | +4% |
3,327 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
Keep your standard of living
Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
Compare other cities
vs