Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

211

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco, CA
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San Francisco, CA Living Index
239

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

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San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,342

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

San Francisco, CA is about 12% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.11 $27.11

$24.65 $24.65

9.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$122 $122

-0.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 $15.06

$13.91 $13.91

8.27%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$6.59 $6.59

-8.04%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$3.84 $3.84

-16.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.87 $2.87

-4.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 $7.83

$7.79 $7.79

0.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.25 $9.25

$9.85 $9.85

-6.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.38 $1.38

24.64%

White Bread (500g)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.68 $4.68

15.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$7.54 $7.54

-36.87%

Eggs

$4.87 $4.87

$5.93 $5.93

-17.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.10 $16.10

$18.83 $18.83

-14.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.32 $15.32

$17.36 $17.36

-11.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.69 $22.69

$18.51 $18.51

22.58%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 $6.20

$6.74 $6.74

-8.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.09 $2.09

35.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$6.07 $6.07

-28.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$6.74 $6.74

-1.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$4.05 $4.05

-28.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.37 $4.37

-14.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.89 $2.89

-2.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.60 $2.60

-0.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.79 $11.79

$18.72 $18.72

-37.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.62 $14.62

$20.06 $20.06

-27.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.25 $3.25

-4.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.73 $3.73

-4.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.06 $3.06

-4.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 $95.8

$140 $140

-31.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.04 $3.04

38.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.15 $2.15

-7.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.06 $39.06

$41.82 $41.82

-6.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.12 $1.12

34.82%

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

$37.6K $37.6K

$35.5K $35.5K

6.19%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.0K $26.0K

-2.33%

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

$214 $214

$219 $219

-2.18%

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

$62.2 $62.2

$73.2 $73.2

-15.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.8 $76.8

$72.0 $72.0

6.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$122 $122

$123 $123

-0.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.47 $21.47

$67.7 $67.7

-68.27%

Cinema Ticket

$17.99 $17.99

$22.85 $22.85

-21.27%

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

$2,943 $2,943

$3,333 $3,333

-11.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.7K $42.7K

$60.0K $60.0K

-28.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 $76.5

$75.2 $75.2

1.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.33 $47.33

$52.4 $52.4

-9.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$122 $122

-16.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$133 $133

4.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,749 $3,749

$4,389 $4,389

-14.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,617 $2,617

$3,130 $3,130

-16.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,734 $5,734

$8,918 $8,918

-35.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,530 $4,530

$5,354 $5,354

-15.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,861 $9,861

$19.4K $19.4K

-49.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,520 $7,520

$6,806 $6,806

10.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,548 $6,548

$5,343 $5,343

22.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

6.82

-0.88%

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

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

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Francisco, CA

$2.6K 60.3%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 19.6% $513

Groceries & Markets

San Francisco, CA

$512 11.8%

New York, NY

$545 11% 6.5% $34

Eating Out

San Francisco, CA

$416 9.6%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Francisco, CA

$353 8.1%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 3.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

San Francisco, CA

$164 3.8%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 4.8% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

San Francisco, CA

$158 3.6%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 6.4% $10

Getting Around

San Francisco, CA

$122 2.8%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 36.9% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,749 in San Francisco, CA versus $4,389 in New York, NY. 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 $120 in San Francisco, CA versus $122 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $512 vs $545 – making San Francisco, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

10:59 10:59 AM

3 h ahead of San Francisco, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

873,965

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

San Francisco, CA
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

San Francisco, CA vs New York, NY: 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 $6,513 per month in San Francisco, CA and $7,424 in New York, NY. 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 $2,943 per month in San Francisco, CA and $3,333 in New York, NY. 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 $4,342 in San Francisco, CA and $4,950 in New York, NY. 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.