Washington, D.C. vs San Francisco Cost of Living
Washington, D.C. (United States) · Overall index 80.0 — San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1
Summary
- Overall, San Francisco is 19% more expensive than Washington, D.C..
- Rent in San Francisco is 47% more expensive than in Washington, D.C..
- Utilities & household in San Francisco is 17% more expensive than in Washington, D.C..
| Item | Washington, D.C. | San Francisco | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +47% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,331 | $3,208 | +38% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,599 | $2,609 | +63% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,225 | $7,487 | +43% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $3,423 | $4,864 | +42% |
| Groceries | +9% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.39 | $1.31 | -6% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.7 | $4.2 | +14% |
| Rice (1kg) | $4.74 | $5.82 | +23% |
| Eggs (12) | $5.18 | $4.57 | -12% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $12 | $16.3 | +36% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $11.3 | $12.6 | +12% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $19.7 | $22.3 | +13% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.27 | $5.88 | +12% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $2.21 | $2.46 | +11% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.62 | $4.54 | -2% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.84 | $5.5 | -6% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.67 | $3.06 | +15% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.47 | $2.72 | +10% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.27 | $2.75 | +21% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.35 | $2.41 | +3% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $14.6 | $15.4 | +5% |
| Transport | +11% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.22 | $3.1 | +40% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $110 | $139 | +26% |
| Taxi, base fare | $4.03 | $4.48 | +11% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.88 | $1.91 | +2% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.98 | $0.99 | +1% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $28,701 | $27,640 | -4% |
| Dining out | +7% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $20.2 | $21.5 | +6% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $119 | $115 | -3% |
| Fast food combo meal | $12.2 | $11.6 | -5% |
| Cappuccino | $5.03 | $5.52 | +10% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.52 | $3.04 | +21% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $6.73 | $8.59 | +28% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $8.64 | $8.71 | +1% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.16 | $2.32 | +7% |
| Telecom | +14% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $55.6 | $68.5 | +23% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $61.4 | $71.8 | +17% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.34 | $0.37 | +9% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $14.5 | $15.8 | +9% |
| Utilities & household | +17% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $162 | $176 | +9% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.2 | $0.23 | +15% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.19 | $5.1 | +22% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.43 | $1.47 | +3% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $21.6 | $25.8 | +19% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $79.5 | $94.8 | +19% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $14.6 | $17.5 | +20% |
| Men's haircut | $28.3 | $33.2 | +17% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $23.4 | $29.6 | +26% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,887 | $2,199 | +17% |
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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