Cost of Living in San Francisco, CA (2026)

San Francisco's cost of living is 16% above the US average. $100,000 here is worth about $86,495 nationally. Rent, homes and monthly costs.

San Francisco has a cost-of-living index of 116 against a US average of 100 — about 16% above average. $100,000 of income here is worth roughly $86,495 at the national average.

What it costs to live in San Francisco

MeasureSan FranciscoUS average
Cost-of-living index116100
Median rent$2,419/mo-
Median home value$1,380,500-
Median household income$141,446-
Population836,321-

Monthly cost breakdown in San Francisco

Estimates use BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shares scaled by the local cost-of-living index. Housing uses the city’s median rent; the owning column uses a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down on the median home.

CategoryRentingOwning
Housing$2,419$8,017
Transport$2,235$2,235
Food$1,758$1,758
Healthcare$1,104$1,104
Other$3,925$3,925
Total$11,440$17,039

Affordability in San Francisco

Median rent takes about 20.5% of the median household income in San Francisco — comfortably inside the 30% rule of thumb.

The median home costs 9.8x the median household income. Three times income is the traditional comfort line; five times is where affordability usually breaks down.

Highest-paying roles in San Francisco

RoleTypical salaryWorth nationally
Marketing Manager$209,170$180,923
Registered Nurse$181,240$156,764
Software Developer$172,340$149,066
Data Scientist$163,430$141,360
Web Developer$141,980$122,806
Mechanical Engineer$136,970$118,473
Police Officer$134,860$116,648
Physical Therapist$131,050$113,352

“Worth nationally” adjusts each salary for San Francisco’s cost of living, so you can compare offers between cities on equal terms.

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Frequently asked questions

San Francisco has a cost-of-living index of 116 against a US average of 100, so it is about 16% above the national average. In practical terms, $100,000 of income in San Francisco has roughly the purchasing power of $86,495 at the national average.

A common benchmark is keeping rent at or under 30% of gross income. At San Francisco's median rent of $2,419/month that implies about $96,760 a year before tax. The median household in San Francisco earns $141,446.

Renting, a single household spends roughly $11,440 a month in San Francisco across housing, transport, food, healthcare and everything else. Buying at the median home price, the estimate is about $17,039 a month including a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down.

The median home in San Francisco costs $1,380,500, which is 9.8x the median household income of $141,446. Lenders traditionally treat 3x as comfortable and about 5x as stretched, so San Francisco is expensive relative to local incomes.