Last update: Nov 2026

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

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.

80

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco
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San Francisco Living Index
234

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

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San Francisco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,683

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Francisco 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 and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

San Francisco is about 66% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.66 ₡4,345

$26.93 $26.93

-64.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.6 ₡27.7K

$117 $117

-47.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 ₡4,877

$14.60 $14.60

-25.68%

Cappuccino

$4.48 ₡2,015

$6.54 $6.54

-31.50%

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

$1.36 ₡611

$3.86 $3.86

-64.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ₡798

$2.95 $2.95

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 ₡1,441

$8.08 $8.08

-60.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 ₡1,958

$9.85 $9.85

-55.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,077

$1.31 $1.31

82.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,386

$4.97 $4.97

-38.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 ₡1,142

$7.70 $7.70

-67.01%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,586

$6.09 $6.09

-42.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 ₡4,898

$19.55 $19.55

-44.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,640

$17.59 $17.59

-41.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 ₡6,210

$20.26 $20.26

-31.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.21 ₡2,344

$6.99 $6.99

-25.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ₡735

$2.21 $2.21

-26.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,158

$6.72 $6.72

-28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,775

$7.12 $7.12

-44.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,745

$4.61 $4.61

-15.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 ₡1,620

$4.78 $4.78

-24.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₡500

$2.87 $2.87

-61.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₡1,444

$2.69 $2.69

19.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 ₡2,601

$19.14 $19.14

-69.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.70 ₡8,856

$19.63 $19.63

0.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₡1,251

$3.32 $3.32

-16.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ₡1,667

$4.19 $4.19

-11.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 ₡603

$3.02 $3.02

-55.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 ₡29.4K

$139 $139

-53.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 ₡769

$3.04 $3.04

-43.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡800

$2.20 $2.20

-19.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ₡3,693

$41.33 $41.33

-80.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡703

$1.13 $1.13

38.05%

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

$34.6K ₡15.5M

$34.5K $34.5K

0.29%

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

$41.3K ₡18.6M

$25.8K $25.8K

59.77%

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

$77.3 ₡34.8K

$232 $232

-66.72%

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

$33.59 ₡15.1K

$71.0 $71.0

-52.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 ₡26.1K

$67.7 $67.7

-14.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.9 ₡30.5K

$115 $115

-41.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,556

$22.41 $22.41

-64.70%

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

$970 ₡436.1K

$3,606 $3,606

-73.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ₡8.5M

$68.7K $68.7K

-72.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ₡32.4K

$79.3 $79.3

-8.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 ₡25.4K

$51.4 $51.4

10.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.3 ₡29.4K

$121 $121

-46.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 ₡24.9K

$140 $140

-60.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$809 ₡363.9K

$4,555 $4,555

-82.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 ₡284.9K

$3,040 $3,040

-79.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,934 ₡869.4K

$9,742 $9,742

-80.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 ₡567.9K

$5,331 $5,331

-76.31%

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)

$890 ₡400.0K

$5,096 $5,096

-82.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.89

25.11%

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

Last update for San Francisco: November 1, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Francisco

$634 37.6%

New York, NY

$3K 62% 380% $2.4K

Groceries & Markets

San Francisco

$402 23.9%

New York, NY

$567 11.6% 41.1% $165

Eating Out

San Francisco

$201 11.9%

New York, NY

$425 8.7% 112% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Francisco

$169 10.1%

New York, NY

$371 7.6% 119% $202

Clothing & Footwear

San Francisco

$112 6.7%

New York, NY

$176 3.6% 57.3% $64

Sport & Entertainment

San Francisco

$84 5%

New York, NY

$160 3.3% 91.2% $76

Getting Around

San Francisco

$81 4.8%

New York, NY

$165 3.4% 104% $84

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $809 in San Francisco versus $4,555 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 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 $62 in San Francisco versus $117 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $402 vs $567 – making San Francisco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Francisco

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

18:22 6:22 PM

19:22 7:22 PM

1 h ahead of San Francisco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,923

8,804,190

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

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

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

San Francisco
New York, NY

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 vs New York, NY: 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 $2,525 per month in San Francisco and $7,358 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, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $809 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $970 per month in San Francisco and $3,606 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 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.