Cost of Living: San Francisco, CA vs New York, NY
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in San Francisco, CA versus $4,116/mo in New York, NY. In the model, rent is about 35.25% of gross in San Francisco, CA versus 25.92% in New York, NY, so New York, NY tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between San Francisco, CA and New York, NY.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): New York, NY
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): New York, NY
- Lower home prices: New York, NY
- Higher median household income: San Francisco, CA
Cost of Living Index
San Francisco, CA: 225.8 (U.S. = 100) · New York, NY: 168.2 (U.S. = 100)
New York, NY has a lower cost-of-living index than San Francisco, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
San Francisco, CA: $2,298/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · New York, NY: $1,690/mo
Median rent in San Francisco, CA is $608/mo higher than in New York, NY.
Median Home Price
San Francisco, CA: $1,380,500 · New York, NY: $751,700
Median home price in San Francisco, CA is $628,800 higher than in New York, NY.
Median Household Income
San Francisco, CA: $141,446 · New York, NY: $79,713
San Francisco, CA has a higher median household income than New York, NY by $61,733.
San Francisco, CA overview · New York, NY overview · Popular comparisons