Boston vs San Francisco - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Boston San Francisco
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3467
$3781
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$7682
$8717
🏠 One person rent
$2394
$2600
🏘️ Family rent
$3923
$4501
🍽️ Food expenses
$726
$806
🚐 Transport expenses
$146
$181
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5787
$7795
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
5 km
18 km
🎓 Higher education
100
97
😀 Quality of life
92
97
🏙️ Population
676K
874K

The cost of living in Boston is 8% less expensive than in San Francisco. Cities ranked 32nd and 9th ($3467 vs $3781) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 28th and 7th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.7 months in Boston compared to 2.1 months in San Francisco. Ranked 15th vs 1st best cities to live in the United States, and 89th vs 12th among the best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Boston vs San Francisco infographic

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Prices in Boston vs San Francisco

Prices for goods and services in Boston and San Francisco are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Boston San Francisco
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$21.3
$22.5
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$93.5
$103
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$13.1
$12.3
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.4
$8.68
☕ Cappuccino
$5.78
$5.68
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.16
$2.79
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2739
$2707
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2042
$2324
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4881
$5024
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3321
$4030
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$144
$138
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$222
$211
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$68.4
$61.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.53%
6.62%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$11569
$11577
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6730
$11019
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.4
$2.6
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$90.4
$96.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$18
$20.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.95
$1.35
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.21
$1.66
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.86
$4.31
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.86
$5.8
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.16
$6.2
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$17.4
$23
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.3
$15
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$20.7
$22.5
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.07
$6.37
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.14
$3.31
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.77
$5.7
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.47
$7
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.73
$3.91
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.78
$3.18
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.76
$1.68
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.74
$3.7
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.1
$18.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.72
$3.33
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13.4
$13.6
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.76
$10.5
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$8.03
$7.97
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.03
$5.38
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2
$2.89
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$81
$91.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$16.1
$17.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$164
$132
💇 Haircut, simple
$21.7
$23.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$60.7
$63.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$100
$107
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2437
$2916
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$25118
$31050

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Cities near Boston

Distance City Cost of living
4 km or 2.5 mi Cambridge
$3756
4.4 km or 2.7 mi Chelsea
$3040
4.5 km or 2.8 mi Somerville
$3647
5.6 km or 3.5 mi Everett
$2916
5.7 km or 3.5 mi Brookline
$3093
6.9 km or 4.3 mi Revere
$2932
7.4 km or 4.6 mi Malden
$3008
7.6 km or 4.7 mi Medford
$2349
10 km or 6.2 mi Belmont
$2951
10 km or 6.2 mi Arlington
$2847
10 km or 6.2 mi Watertown
$2913
11 km or 6.9 mi Melrose
$2826
12 km or 7.5 mi Milton
$2938
12 km or 7.5 mi Winchester
$2755
12 km or 7.7 mi Newton
$2790
13 km or 7.8 mi Saugus
$2897
13 km or 8.1 mi Quincy
$3122
14 km or 8.6 mi Stoneham
$2778
14 km or 8.9 mi Waltham
$2817
15 km or 9.4 mi Lynn
$3172
15 km or 9.5 mi Woburn
$2735
16 km or 9.6 mi Dedham
$2869
16 km or 10 mi Needham
$2797
16 km or 10 mi Lexington
$2746
16 km or 10 mi Wakefield
$2846
18 km or 11 mi Braintree
$2925
18 km or 11 mi Weymouth
$2920
19 km or 12 mi Reading
$2773
19 km or 12 mi Hingham
$2869
20 km or 12 mi Burlington
$2443
20 km or 13 mi Wellesley
$2798
21 km or 13 mi Norwood
$2804
22 km or 14 mi Peabody
$2878
22 km or 14 mi Randolph
$2848
22 km or 14 mi Salem
$3005
23 km or 14 mi Wilmington
$2607
23 km or 14 mi Marblehead
$2853
23 km or 14 mi Canton
$2815
25 km or 16 mi Natick
$2961
26 km or 16 mi Stoughton
$2803

Cities near San Francisco

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.9 mi Daly
$3180
14 km or 8.4 mi South San Francisco
$3170
14 km or 8.8 mi Alameda
$3274
15 km or 9.2 mi Oakland
$3146
16 km or 10 mi Albany
$2940
17 km or 10 mi Berkeley
$3082
17 km or 11 mi San Bruno
$3196
18 km or 11 mi El Cerrito
$2977
18 km or 11 mi Pacifica
$3152
19 km or 12 mi Richmond
$3053
20 km or 12 mi Millbrae
$3224
21 km or 13 mi San Pablo
$3048
22 km or 14 mi Burlingame
$3293
24 km or 15 mi San Leandro
$3023
24 km or 15 mi San Rafael
$4155
26 km or 16 mi San Mateo
$3672
28 km or 17 mi San Lorenzo
$2802
28 km or 18 mi Foster
$3473
29 km or 18 mi Lafayette
$2831
29 km or 18 mi Hercules
$2949
31 km or 19 mi Belmont
$3804
32 km or 20 mi Hayward
$2981
32 km or 20 mi Castro Valley
$2931
34 km or 21 mi San Carlos
$3442
34 km or 21 mi Walnut Creek
$2874
36 km or 23 mi Redwood
$3584
37 km or 23 mi Martinez
$2714
37 km or 23 mi Danville
$2922
37 km or 23 mi Pleasant Hill
$2767
38 km or 24 mi Union
$2986
39 km or 24 mi San Ramon
$2851
39 km or 24 mi Vallejo
$2885
39 km or 24 mi Novato
$3176
39 km or 24 mi Benicia
$2845
41 km or 25 mi Concord
$2726
42 km or 26 mi Menlo Park
$3288
42 km or 26 mi East Palo Alto
$3228
43 km or 27 mi Newark
$3010
45 km or 28 mi Dublin
$3091
46 km or 28 mi Palo Alto
$3610