San Francisco vs Philadelphia Cost of Living

San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1Philadelphia (United States) · Overall index 69.8

Summary

  • Overall, Philadelphia is 27% cheaper than San Francisco.
  • Rent in Philadelphia is 51% cheaper than in San Francisco.
  • Transport in Philadelphia is 24% cheaper than in San Francisco.
ItemSan FranciscoPhiladelphiaDiff
Rent-51%
1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$3,208$1,792-44%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$2,609$1,341-49%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$7,487$3,174-58%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$4,864$2,384-51%
Groceries-13%
Milk (1L)$1.31$1.29-2%
White bread (500g)$4.2$3.87-8%
Rice (1kg)$5.82$4.06-30%
Eggs (12)$4.57$4.69+3%
Local cheese (1kg)$16.3$11.8-28%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$12.6$10.1-20%
Beef round (1kg)$22.3$18.6-17%
Apples (1kg)$5.88$5.15-12%
Bananas (1kg)$2.46$1.93-22%
Oranges (1kg)$4.54$4.39-3%
Tomatoes (1kg)$5.5$4.45-19%
Potatoes (1kg)$3.06$2.56-16%
Onions (1kg)$2.72$2.4-12%
Lettuce (1 head)$2.75$2.53-8%
Water (1.5L bottle)$2.41$2.2-9%
Bottle of wine (mid-range)$15.4$14.5-6%
Transport-24%
Public transport, one-way ticket$3.1$1.99-36%
Public transport, monthly pass$139$96-31%
Taxi, base fare$4.48$3.28-27%
Taxi, per km$1.91$1.42-26%
Gasoline (1L)$0.99$0.86-13%
New compact car (e.g., VW Golf)$27,640$24,387-12%
Dining out-17%
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$21.5$20.9-3%
Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses)$115$110-4%
Fast food combo meal$11.6$10.1-13%
Cappuccino$5.52$4.76-14%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant)$3.04$2.19-28%
Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant)$8.59$6.57-24%
Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant)$8.71$7.12-18%
Water (0.33L, restaurant)$2.32$1.65-29%
Telecom-17%
Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly)$68.5$51.4-25%
Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly)$71.8$64.6-10%
Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min)$0.37$0.31-16%
Video streaming subscription (monthly)$15.8$13.1-17%
Utilities & household-18%
Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly)$176$147-16%
Electricity (1 kWh)$0.23$0.19-17%
Tap water (1m³)$5.1$4.65-9%
Natural gas (1m³)$1.47$1.27-14%
Waste collection (monthly)$25.8$18.1-30%
Fitness club (monthly)$94.8$71-25%
Cinema ticket (1 seat)$17.5$14.4-18%
Men's haircut$33.2$28.5-14%
Domestic cleaning (1 hour)$29.6$23.9-19%
Private kindergarten (monthly)$2,199$1,805-18%

3,325 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15

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