San Francisco vs Washington, D.C. Cost of Living
San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1 — Washington, D.C. (United States) · Overall index 80.0
Summary
- Overall, Washington, D.C. is 16% cheaper than San Francisco.
- Rent in Washington, D.C. is 32% cheaper than in San Francisco.
- Utilities & household in Washington, D.C. is 14% cheaper than in San Francisco.
| Item | San Francisco | Washington, D.C. | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -32% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,208 | $2,331 | -27% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,609 | $1,599 | -39% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $7,487 | $5,225 | -30% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $4,864 | $3,423 | -30% |
| Groceries | -8% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.31 | $1.39 | +6% |
| White bread (500g) | $4.2 | $3.7 | -12% |
| Rice (1kg) | $5.82 | $4.74 | -19% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.57 | $5.18 | +13% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $16.3 | $12 | -26% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12.6 | $11.3 | -10% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $22.3 | $19.7 | -12% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.88 | $5.27 | -10% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $2.46 | $2.21 | -10% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.54 | $4.62 | +2% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.5 | $5.84 | +6% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.06 | $2.67 | -13% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.72 | $2.47 | -9% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.75 | $2.27 | -17% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.41 | $2.35 | -2% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $15.4 | $14.6 | -5% |
| Transport | -10% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $3.1 | $2.22 | -28% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $139 | $110 | -21% |
| Taxi, base fare | $4.48 | $4.03 | -10% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.91 | $1.88 | -2% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.99 | $0.98 | -1% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $27,640 | $28,701 | +4% |
| Dining out | -7% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $21.5 | $20.2 | -6% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $115 | $119 | +3% |
| Fast food combo meal | $11.6 | $12.2 | +5% |
| Cappuccino | $5.52 | $5.03 | -9% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.04 | $2.52 | -17% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $8.59 | $6.73 | -22% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $8.71 | $8.64 | -1% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.32 | $2.16 | -7% |
| Telecom | -13% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $68.5 | $55.6 | -19% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $71.8 | $61.4 | -14% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.37 | $0.34 | -8% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $15.8 | $14.5 | -8% |
| Utilities & household | -14% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $176 | $162 | -8% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.23 | $0.2 | -13% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $5.1 | $4.19 | -18% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.47 | $1.43 | -3% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $25.8 | $21.6 | -16% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $94.8 | $79.5 | -16% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $17.5 | $14.6 | -17% |
| Men's haircut | $33.2 | $28.3 | -15% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $29.6 | $23.4 | -21% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,199 | $1,887 | -14% |
3,214 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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