Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Francisco: $1,683 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $38,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco
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San Francisco Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

San Francisco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $1,683 in San Francisco, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
San Francisco $1,683

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $2,673 in San Francisco, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
San Francisco $2,673

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $3,662 in San Francisco, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
San Francisco $3,662

New York, NY costs about 191% more than San Francisco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New York, NY and San Francisco sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, San Francisco by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$9.66 ₡4,345

178.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$61.6 ₡27.7K

89.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$10.85 ₡4,877

34.56%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$4.48 ₡2,015

45.98%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$1.36 ₡611

183.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.77 ₡798

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$3.21 ₡1,441

151.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$4.35 ₡1,958

126.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.39 ₡1,077

-45.19%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.08 ₡1,386

61.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$2.54 ₡1,142

203.15%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$3.53 ₡1,586

72.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$10.89 ₡4,898

79.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$10.32 ₡4,640

70.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$13.81 ₡6,210

46.71%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$5.21 ₡2,344

34.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.63 ₡735

35.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$4.80 ₡2,158

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.95 ₡1,775

80.25%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.88 ₡1,745

18.81%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.60 ₡1,620

32.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.11 ₡500

158.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.21 ₡1,444

-16.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$5.78 ₡2,601

231.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$19.70 ₡8,856

-0.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.78 ₡1,251

19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.71 ₡1,667

12.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.34 ₡603

125.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$65.3 ₡29.4K

113.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.71 ₡769

77.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.78 ₡800

23.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$8.21 ₡3,693

403.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.56 ₡703

-27.56%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.6K ₡15.5M

-0.29%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$41.3K ₡18.6M

-37.41%

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

$232 $232

$77.3 ₡34.8K

200.47%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$33.59 ₡15.1K

111.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$58.2 ₡26.1K

16.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$67.9 ₡30.5K

69.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$7.91 ₡3,556

183.31%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$970 ₡436.1K

271.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$18.8K ₡8.5M

264.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$72.1 ₡32.4K

9.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$56.6 ₡25.4K

-9.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$65.3 ₡29.4K

85.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$55.3 ₡24.9K

153.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$809 ₡363.9K

462.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$634 ₡284.9K

379.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$1,934 ₡869.4K

403.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$1,263 ₡567.9K

322.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$890 ₡400.0K

472.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

8.62

-20.07%

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

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Francisco: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

San Francisco

$634 37.6% 79.2% $2.4K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

San Francisco

$402 23.9% 29.1% $165

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

San Francisco

$201 11.9% 52.7% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

San Francisco

$169 10.1% 54.4% $202

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

San Francisco

$112 6.7% 36.4% $64

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

San Francisco

$81 4.8% 50.9% $84

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

San Francisco

$84 5% 47.7% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $809 in San Francisco. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in New York, NY are about 5.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY versus $62 in San Francisco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $402 – making San Francisco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇨🇷 San Francisco

🕒 Local time

19:24 7:24 PM

18:24 6:24 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

55,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

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Between locations

New York, NY San Francisco 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
San Francisco

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 191% more than San Francisco, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $2,525 in San Francisco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Francisco, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $809 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,606 per month in New York, NY and $970 in San Francisco. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in San Francisco, where all-in costs run around $1,683, than in New York, NY at $4,906. In San Francisco it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Francisco – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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