San Francisco vs Seattle - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

San Francisco Seattle
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3729
$2974
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$8827
$7082
🏠 One person rent
$2575
$1895
🏘️ Family rent
$4722
$3327
🍽️ Food expenses
$762
$708
🚐 Transport expenses
$182
$169
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$7332
$6506
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
18 km
9 km
🎓 Higher education
97
80
😀 Quality of life
95
90
🏙️ Population
874K
737K

The cost of living in San Francisco is 25% more expensive than in Seattle. Cities ranked 12th and 145th ($3729 vs $2974) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 10th and 120th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 2 months in San Francisco compared to 2.2 months in Seattle. Ranked 4th vs 19th best cities to live in the United States, and 29th vs 125th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in San Francisco vs Seattle infographic

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Prices in San Francisco vs Seattle

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

San Francisco Seattle
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$22.4
$18.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$87.4
$85
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.9
$12.1
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.6
$8.28
 Cappuccino
$5.44
$5.9
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.75
$3.25
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2705
$2036
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2296
$1598
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$5169
$3765
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4274
$2858
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$135
$144
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$208
$222
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$62.1
$65.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.55%
6.59%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$11456
$9273
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$10309
$5449
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.74
$2.73
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$96.8
$96.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$21
$20.5
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.33
$1.3
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.72
$1.14
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$4.07
$3.63
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.93
$4.63
🥚 Eggs, x12
$6.13
$4.6
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$20
$16
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15.8
$15.2
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19
$20.1
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.78
$4.98
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3
$2.12
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.9
$4.79
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.99
$5.73
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.44
$2.91
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.36
$3.35
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.52
$1.43
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.01
$3.1
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.7
$16
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$4.01
$3.05
🚬 Cigarette pack
$12.9
$11.9
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$10.5
$10.4
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$8.04
$6.02
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$5.79
$6.93
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.94
$2.54
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$95.1
$62.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$17.4
$15
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$159
$177
💇 Haircut, simple
$26.4
$24.1
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.1
$62.5
👟 Brand Sneakers
$106
$95.4
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2657
$1999
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$31490
$29730

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Cities near San Francisco

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.9 mi Daly
$3133
14 km or 8.4 mi South San Francisco
$3130
14 km or 8.8 mi Alameda
$3358
15 km or 9.2 mi Oakland
$3123
16 km or 10 mi Albany
$2965
17 km or 10 mi Berkeley
$3127
17 km or 11 mi San Bruno
$3147
18 km or 11 mi El Cerrito
$2977
18 km or 11 mi Pacifica
$3135
19 km or 12 mi Richmond
$3042
20 km or 12 mi Millbrae
$3163
21 km or 13 mi San Pablo
$3046
22 km or 14 mi Burlingame
$3219
24 km or 15 mi San Leandro
$2969
24 km or 15 mi San Rafael
$4148
26 km or 16 mi San Mateo
$3583
28 km or 17 mi San Lorenzo
$2650
28 km or 18 mi Foster
$3518
29 km or 18 mi Lafayette
$2840
29 km or 18 mi Hercules
$2968
31 km or 19 mi Belmont
$3567
32 km or 20 mi Hayward
$2660
32 km or 20 mi Castro Valley
$2881
34 km or 21 mi San Carlos
$3300
34 km or 21 mi Walnut Creek
$2876
36 km or 23 mi Redwood
$3389
37 km or 23 mi Martinez
$2697
37 km or 23 mi Danville
$2929
37 km or 23 mi Pleasant Hill
$2782
38 km or 24 mi Union
$2922
39 km or 24 mi San Ramon
$2860
39 km or 24 mi Vallejo
$2900
39 km or 24 mi Novato
$3195
39 km or 24 mi Benicia
$2824
41 km or 25 mi Concord
$2947
42 km or 26 mi Menlo Park
$3313
42 km or 26 mi East Palo Alto
$3245
43 km or 27 mi Newark
$3003
45 km or 28 mi Dublin
$3109
46 km or 28 mi Palo Alto
$3733

Cities near Seattle

Distance City Cost of living
9.1 km or 5.7 mi Mercer Island
$2814
11 km or 6.5 mi Bellevue
$3345
14 km or 8.5 mi Kirkland
$2920
15 km or 9.2 mi Tukwila
$2514
15 km or 9.5 mi Burien
$2507
16 km or 10 mi Bainbridge Island
$2810
17 km or 10 mi Shoreline
$3118
17 km or 10 mi Renton
$2157
17 km or 11 mi Redmond
$3262
17 km or 11 mi Kenmore
$2728
19 km or 12 mi SeaTac
$2463
21 km or 13 mi Bothell
$2729
22 km or 14 mi Sammamish
$2758
22 km or 14 mi Edmonds
$2837
23 km or 14 mi Issaquah
$2651
24 km or 15 mi Des Moines
$2549
24 km or 15 mi Lynnwood
$2750
24 km or 15 mi Bremerton
$2313
26 km or 16 mi Kent
$2827
30 km or 19 mi Mill Creek
$2663
33 km or 20 mi Federal Way
$2587
34 km or 21 mi Maple Valley
$2585
35 km or 21 mi Mukilteo
$2627
35 km or 22 mi Auburn
$2597
41 km or 25 mi Everett
$2604
42 km or 26 mi Tacoma
$2830
46 km or 28 mi University Place
$2652
48 km or 30 mi Puyallup
$2733
50 km or 31 mi Lake Stevens
$2593
51 km or 32 mi Lakewood
$2461
52 km or 33 mi Marysville
$2585
57 km or 35 mi Spanaway
$2402
74 km or 46 mi Lacey
$2546
76 km or 47 mi Olympia
$2500
78 km or 48 mi Sequim
$2576
80 km or 50 mi Oak Harbor
$2588
90 km or 56 mi Mount Vernon
$2255
100 km or 62 mi Port Angeles
$2451
109 km or 68 mi Centralia
$2470
119 km or 74 mi Victoria
$2210