Seattle vs San Francisco Cost of Living
Seattle (United States) · Overall index 80.2 — San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1
Summary
- Overall, San Francisco is 19% more expensive than Seattle.
- Rent in San Francisco is 48% more expensive than in Seattle.
- Transport in San Francisco is 15% more expensive than in Seattle.
| Item | Seattle | San Francisco | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +48% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,547 | $3,208 | +26% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,601 | $2,609 | +63% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,039 | $7,487 | +49% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $3,191 | $4,864 | +52% |
| Groceries | +6% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.41 | $1.31 | -7% |
| White bread (500g) | $4 | $4.2 | +5% |
| Rice (1kg) | $5.04 | $5.82 | +15% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.44 | $4.57 | +3% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $14.9 | $16.3 | +9% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $11.7 | $12.6 | +8% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $19.3 | $22.3 | +16% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.51 | $5.88 | +7% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $2.26 | $2.46 | +9% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.37 | $4.54 | +4% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.57 | $5.5 | -1% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.68 | $3.06 | +14% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.92 | $2.72 | -7% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.34 | $2.75 | +18% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.25 | $2.41 | +7% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $14.5 | $15.4 | +6% |
| Transport | +15% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.53 | $3.1 | +23% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $114 | $139 | +22% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.85 | $4.48 | +16% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.85 | $1.91 | +3% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.86 | $0.99 | +15% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $24,270 | $27,640 | +14% |
| Dining out | +14% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $21.7 | $21.5 | -1% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $117 | $115 | -2% |
| Fast food combo meal | $12 | $11.6 | -3% |
| Cappuccino | $4.86 | $5.52 | +14% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.24 | $3.04 | +36% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $6.45 | $8.59 | +33% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $7.3 | $8.71 | +19% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.87 | $2.32 | +24% |
| Telecom | +9% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $61.7 | $68.5 | +11% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $63.5 | $71.8 | +13% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.34 | $0.37 | +9% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $15.4 | $15.8 | +3% |
| Utilities & household | +10% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $176 | $176 | 0% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.23 | $0.23 | 0% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.6 | $5.1 | +11% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.34 | $1.47 | +10% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $20.4 | $25.8 | +26% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $88.4 | $94.8 | +7% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $15.5 | $17.5 | +13% |
| Men's haircut | $32.1 | $33.2 | +3% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $25.4 | $29.6 | +17% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,939 | $2,199 | +13% |
3,311 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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