Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and San Francisco, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Francisco, CA: $4,342 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
211

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco, CA
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San Francisco, CA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,342

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in San Francisco, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New York, NY and in San Francisco, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,950 per month in New York, NY vs $4,342 in San Francisco, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,950
San Francisco, CA $4,342

A couple spends around $7,265 per month in New York, NY vs $6,433 in San Francisco, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,265
San Francisco, CA $6,433

A family of three spends $9,581 per month in New York, NY vs $8,523 in San Francisco, CA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,581
San Francisco, CA $8,523

New York, NY costs about 14% more than San Francisco, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both New York, NY and San Francisco, CA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 267%, San Francisco, CA by 222%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$27.11 $27.11

-9.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$120 $120

0.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$15.06 $15.06

-7.64%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$6.06 $6.06

8.75%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.22 $3.22

19.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.75 $2.75

4.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$7.83 $7.83

-0.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$9.25 $9.25

6.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.72 $1.72

-19.77%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$5.39 $5.39

-13.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$4.76 $4.76

58.40%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$4.87 $4.87

21.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$16.10 $16.10

16.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$15.32 $15.32

13.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$22.69 $22.69

-18.42%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$6.20 $6.20

8.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.83 $2.83

-26.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.32 $4.32

40.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$6.66 $6.66

1.20%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.90 $2.90

39.66%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.72 $3.72

17.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.81 $2.81

2.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.59 $2.59

0.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.79 $11.79

58.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$14.62 $14.62

37.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.11 $3.11

4.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.56 $3.56

4.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.91 $2.91

5.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$95.8 $95.8

46.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$4.22 $4.22

-27.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.99 $1.99

8.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

$39.06 $39.06

7.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.51 $1.51

-25.83%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.5K $35.5K

$37.6K $37.6K

-5.83%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.4K $25.4K

2.39%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 $219

$214 $214

2.23%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$73.2 $73.2

$62.2 $62.2

17.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$76.8 $76.8

-6.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$122 $122

0.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

$21.47 $21.47

215.18%

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$17.99 $17.99

27.02%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,333 $3,333

$2,943 $2,943

13.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$42.7K $42.7K

40.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$76.5 $76.5

-1.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$47.33 $47.33

10.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$101 $101

20.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$140 $140

-4.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$3,749 $3,749

17.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$2,617 $2,617

19.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$5,734 $5,734

55.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$4,530 $4,530

18.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$9,861 $9,861

96.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$7,520 $7,520

-9.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$6,548 $6,548

-18.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.76

0.89%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Last update for San Francisco, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2%

San Francisco, CA

$2.6K 60.3% 16.4% $513

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

San Francisco, CA

$512 11.8% 6.1% $34

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

San Francisco, CA

$416 9.6% 3.1% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

San Francisco, CA

$353 8.1% 3% $11

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

San Francisco, CA

$164 3.8% 4.6% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

San Francisco, CA

$158 3.6% 6.1% $10

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

San Francisco, CA

$122 2.8% 27% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,389 in New York, NY versus $3,749 in San Francisco, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 23% higher in San Francisco, CA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in New York, NY versus $120 in San Francisco, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $545 vs $512 – making San Francisco, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA

🕒 Local time

10:15 10:15 AM

07:15 7:15 AM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

873,965

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY San Francisco, CA 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
San Francisco, CA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

New York, NY vs San Francisco, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 14% more than San Francisco, CA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,424 per month in New York, NY and $6,513 in San Francisco, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Francisco, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $3,333 per month in New York, NY and $2,943 in San Francisco, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$4,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,950 in New York, NY and $4,342 in San Francisco, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Francisco, CA costs $4,342 versus $4,950 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with San Francisco, CA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.