Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,800 a month against $4,342 in San Francisco, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Francisco, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

211

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco, CA
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San Francisco, CA Living Index
185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,342

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Francisco, CA and in Seattle, WA

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

A single person spends $4,342 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $4,342
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $6,433 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $6,433
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $8,523 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $8,523
Seattle, WA $7,603

San Francisco, CA costs about 14% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both San Francisco, CA and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – San Francisco, CA by 222%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.11 $27.11

$25.32 $25.32

7.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$101 $101

18.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 $15.06

$14.85 $14.85

1.41%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$6.59 $6.59

-8.04%

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

$3.22 $3.22

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.14 $3.14

-12.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 $7.83

$8.18 $8.18

-4.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.25 $9.25

$8.03 $8.03

15.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.21 $1.21

42.15%

White Bread (500g)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.12 $5.12

5.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$6.30 $6.30

-24.44%

Eggs

$4.87 $4.87

$4.90 $4.90

-0.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.10 $16.10

$19.10 $19.10

-15.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.32 $15.32

$18.50 $18.50

-17.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.69 $22.69

$23.03 $23.03

-1.48%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 $6.20

$5.81 $5.81

6.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.95 $1.95

45.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$5.29 $5.29

-18.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$6.48 $6.48

2.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.57 $3.57

-18.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.15 $3.15

18.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.85 $2.85

-1.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.42 $2.42

7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.79 $11.79

$12.75 $12.75

-7.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.62 $14.62

$14.99 $14.99

-2.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$4.17 $4.17

-25.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$5.99 $5.99

-40.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.04 $3.04

-4.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 $95.8

$110 $110

-12.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.55 $2.55

65.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.64 $1.64

21.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.06 $39.06

$29.58 $29.58

32.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.42 $1.42

6.34%

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

$37.6K $37.6K

$35.7K $35.7K

5.31%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.6K $25.6K

-0.51%

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

$214 $214

$299 $299

-28.35%

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

$62.2 $62.2

$70.8 $70.8

-12.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.8 $76.8

$88.3 $88.3

-13.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$122 $122

$79.5 $79.5

53.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.47 $21.47

$35.37 $35.37

-39.30%

Cinema Ticket

$17.99 $17.99

$17.12 $17.12

5.08%

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

$2,943 $2,943

$3,013 $3,013

-2.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.7K $42.7K

$31.6K $31.6K

34.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 $76.5

$77.2 $77.2

-0.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.33 $47.33

$55.1 $55.1

-14.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$126 $126

-19.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$163 $163

-14.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,749 $3,749

$2,464 $2,464

52.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,617 $2,617

$1,956 $1,956

33.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,734 $5,734

$4,711 $4,711

21.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,530 $4,530

$3,550 $3,550

27.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,861 $9,861

$7,346 $7,346

34.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,520 $7,520

$5,048 $5,048

48.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,548 $6,548

$6,286 $6,286

4.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

6.85

-1.31%

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 Seattle, WA: 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%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 25.3% $661

Groceries & Markets

San Francisco, CA

$512 11.8%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 5.9% $30

Eating Out

San Francisco, CA

$416 9.6%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 1.8% $7.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Francisco, CA

$353 8.1%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 29.7% $105

Clothing & Footwear

San Francisco, CA

$164 3.8%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 15.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

San Francisco, CA

$158 3.6%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 28.1% $44

Getting Around

San Francisco, CA

$122 2.8%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 9.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,749 in San Francisco, CA versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. 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 4% higher in San Francisco, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in San Francisco, CA versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Groceries tell a different story – $512 in San Francisco, CA vs $542 in Seattle, WA – so San Francisco, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

02:20 2:20 AM

Same time as San Francisco, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

873,965

737,015

💱 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 Seattle, WA 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA

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

San Francisco, CA vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Francisco, CA is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,513 per month in San Francisco, CA and $5,701 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in San Francisco, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in San Francisco, CA and $101 in Seattle, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,342 in San Francisco, CA and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Seattle, WA – 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 Seattle, WA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Francisco, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.