Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco, CA and Seattle, WA Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco, CA and Seattle, WA

😐 Solo nomad: San Francisco, CA is 0.6% more expensive than Seattle, WA without rent, and 21% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: San Francisco, CA is 2.5% more expensive than Seattle, WA without rent, and 11.8% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.25 $25.25
$24.58 $24.58
2.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$130 $130
$119 $119
8.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.86 $14.86
$14.21 $14.21
4.57%
Cappuccino
$5.99 $5.99
$5.61 $5.61
6.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 $3.25
$3.03 $3.03
7.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 $2.44
$2.41 $2.41
1.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.14 $8.14
$7.61 $7.61
6.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.90 $7.90
$8.13 $8.13
-2.83%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.36 $1.36
12.50%
White Bread (500g)
$5.04 $5.04
$4.82 $4.82
4.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.82 $6.82
$5.34 $5.34
27.72%
Eggs
$5.95 $5.95
$6.82 $6.82
-12.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$23.51 $23.51
$25.08 $25.08
-6.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.84 $14.84
$16.14 $16.14
-8.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.69 $23.69
$20.50 $20.50
15.56%
Apples (1kg)
$7.13 $7.13
$6.21 $6.21
14.81%
Banana (1kg)
$2.80 $2.80
$2.88 $2.88
-2.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.29 $5.29
$5.32 $5.32
-0.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.67 $7.67
$6.55 $6.55
17.10%
Potato (1kg)
$3.70 $3.70
$3.20 $3.20
15.63%
Onion (1kg)
$3.99 $3.99
$3.76 $3.76
6.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.81 $2.81
$2.81 $2.81
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.83 $2.83
$2.54 $2.54
11.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.73 $13.73
$11.60 $11.60
18.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.87 $17.87
$16.70 $16.70
7.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.61 $2.61
$2.98 $2.98
-12.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 $3.33
$4.34 $4.34
-23.27%
🚌 Getting Around
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.03 $3.03
$2.83 $2.83
7.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.3 $96.3
$99.5 $99.5
-3.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.04 $4.04
$2.67 $2.67
51.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.65 $1.65
23.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.32 $39.32
$30.48 $30.48
29.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 $1.32
$1.15 $1.15
14.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.1K $35.1K
$33.0K $33.0K
6.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K $25.5K
$26.2K $26.2K
-2.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 $223
$270 $270
-17.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$63.4 $63.4
$61.9 $61.9
2.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.5 $68.5
$75.1 $75.1
-8.79%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$98.4 $98.4
$80.5 $80.5
22.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.73 $12.73
$40.95 $40.95
-68.91%
Cinema Ticket
$16.82 $16.82
$15.91 $15.91
5.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,197 $3,197
$2,264 $2,264
41.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$38.1K $38.1K
$29.4K $29.4K
29.30%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.2 $67.2
$69.3 $69.3
-2.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.55 $45.55
$53.1 $53.1
-14.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 $102
$118 $118
-13.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$148 $148
$144 $144
2.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,276 $3,276
$2,307 $2,307
41.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,745 $2,745
$1,878 $1,878
46.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,472 $5,472
$4,573 $4,573
19.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,491 $4,491
$3,483 $3,483
28.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.9K $10.9K
$7,779 $7,779
39.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$9,341 $9,341
$5,269 $5,269
77.28%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$7,307 $7,307
$6,536 $6,536
11.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.36
6.42
-0.93%

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

Last update for San Francisco, CA: March 1, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: February 28, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Similar cities