Cost of living in San Francisco: rent, homes and salary
The cost of living in San Francisco sits 15.6% above the US average. For the San Francisco, CA metro area, the BEA regional price parity (RPP) in 2024 is 115.6, compared with 100 for the US, while housing alone stands at 194.7.
- Level of prices
- 115.6US = 100, BEA 2024
- Level of housing prices
- 194.7 for rents, US = 100.
Cost of living index for San Francisco
A regional price parity measure compares what identical goods and services cost in one place with the US average. That average is set at 100. San Francisco belongs to the metro area called San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, and BEA prices that whole area as one. Housing (rents) differs most from the US average. Its index is 194.7, or 94.7% above the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | San Francisco, CA metro | California | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 115.6 | 110.7 | +15.6% |
| Goods | 108.5 | 106.1 | +8.5% |
| Housing (rents) | 194.7 | 154.3 | +94.7% |
| Utilities | 172.6 | 158.9 | +72.6% |
| Other services | 106.2 | 102.6 | +6.2% |
Regional price parities for each metro area and each state, 2024, from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. BEA regional price parities
Rent costs in San Francisco
San Francisco's typical asking rent is $4,784 a month, according to the Zillow Observed Rent Index, or ZORI. It measures rent on homes listed now, and it is +26.4% on a year. The US figure is $1,932. Census median gross rent is $2,448. This figure includes every renting household, not only new leases. Annual asking rent equals 41% of median household income.
| Rent | San Francisco | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $4,784 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +26.4% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $2,448 | $1,487 |
| Asking rent for a year, share of median income | 41% | 28% |
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 with one-year estimates; Zillow Observed Rent Index.
San Francisco home prices
The Zillow Home Value Index, or ZHVI, put the value of a typical San Francisco home in the middle of the housing market at $1,441,021 in September 2026. The yearly change is +15.5%, while the US figure is $366,157. The cost equals 10.3 years of median household income, compared with 4.5 years for the US.
| Home prices | San Francisco | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $1,441,021 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | +15.5% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +28.7% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 10.3 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 25.1 | 15.8 |
Days on market, the forecast, and the price chart since 2000: San Francisco housing market.
Salary required to live in San Francisco
What you earn, and where you live, decide the San Francisco salary that matches what your pay buys now.
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The method plus each city next to the others: cost of living by city.
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San Francisco cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Level of prices | Housing | Typical rent figure | The typical value of a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | 115.6 | 194.7 | $4,784 | $1,441,021 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
| San Diego | 111.9 | 179.3 | $3,004 | $980,490 |
| San Jose | 110.4 | 211.9 | $3,582 | $1,353,869 |
| Fresno | 102.2 | 95.7 | $1,945 | $384,885 |
| Sacramento | 106.7 | 130.2 | $2,045 | $470,552 |
| Long Beach | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,412 | $852,391 |
| Oakland | 115.6 | 194.7 | $2,758 | $710,647 |
| Bakersfield | 100.9 | 90.3 | $1,901 | $385,686 |
Price levels: BEA regional price parities for 2024, US = 100. Rent comes from Zillow ZORI. Home value is from Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
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