San Francisco County · California
San Francisco cost of living (CA)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
San Francisco costs 15.6% above the national average — all-items price level 115.6, rank 1 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $115,613 here. Housing is the reason, at 194.7.
- All items
- 115.6US average = 100
- Housing
- 194.794.7% above the national average
- Goods
- 108.58.5% above the national average
- Other services
- 106.26.2% above the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 108.5 | +8.5% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 194.7 | +94.7% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 172.6 | +72.6% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 106.2 | +6.2% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
Reading the San Francisco price level
What the 115.6 figure actually means for a household here.
San Francisco prices sit 15.6% above the US average — an all-items parity of 115.6, rank 1 of 94 covered metros. That is expensive. The median covered metro reads 100.8.
Housing drives it: 194.7, 94.7% above average. Other services pull the other way at 106.2. The spread between the cheapest and dearest component is 88.5 points, so the headline number hides real variation — a renter and an owner in San Francisco do not face the same cost gap versus the rest of the country.
A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $115,613 here to buy the same basket. Run it the other way: the $141,446 median household income in San Francisco is worth $122,344 in national-average dollars, 55.8% above the $78,538 US median. Local pay more than covers the local price level.
Parities are published for San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA as a whole. Neighbourhood prices inside that metro diverge widely, and BEA revises the series annually.
What your salary is worth in San Francisco, CA
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (115.6 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $122,344
- Needed to match US average
- $163,530
- Monthly difference
- $1,840
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$141,446 median household income in San Francisco is worth $122,344 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 115.6.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- Is San Francisco expensive?
- Yes — 15.6% above the US average, rank 1 of 94 covered metros. housing is the component furthest from average at 194.7.
- What salary do you need to live in San Francisco, CA?
- $115,613 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $141,446, worth $122,344 after adjusting for the 115.6 price level.
- Why is the cost of living high in San Francisco?
- Housing at 194.7 versus other services at 106.2. A 88.5-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.
More San Francisco data
Other San Francisco datasets on this site.
- San Francisco population and income
- San Francisco sales tax rate
- San Francisco property tax
- San Francisco home values and rent
- San Francisco crime rates
- San Francisco public schools
- San Francisco weather normals
- San Francisco commute times
- San Francisco jobs and wages
Statewide: California cities · California ZIP codes · California sales tax · California counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.