Cost of Living Comparison Between Boston, MA and San Francisco, CA 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in San Francisco, CA are 4.5% higher than in Boston, MA (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in San Francisco, CA are 10.4% higher than in Boston, MA | |
| Rent Prices in San Francisco, CA are 18.3% higher than in Boston, MA | |
| Restaurant Prices in San Francisco, CA are 2.0% higher than in Boston, MA | |
| Groceries Prices in San Francisco, CA are 4.7% higher than in Boston, MA | |
| Local Purchasing Power in San Francisco, CA is 21.5% higher than in Boston, MA | |
Restaurants | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 23.00 $ | 25.00 $ | +8.7 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 100.00 $ | 100.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 12.00 $ | 12.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 8.00 $ | 8.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 10.00 $ | 8.00 $ | -20.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.65 $ | 5.62 $ | -0.5 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.80 $ | 2.72 $ | -3.1 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.51 $ | 2.32 $ | -7.7 % |
Markets | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.84 $ | 5.87 $ | +21.3 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.00 $ | 4.36 $ | +8.9 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.77 $ | 2.99 $ | +7.8 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 4.79 $ | 5.20 $ | +8.4 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 9.50 $ | 9.23 $ | -2.9 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.42 $ | 7.04 $ | +9.7 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 9.43 $ | 9.19 $ | -2.5 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.59 $ | 3.09 $ | +19.3 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.96 $ | 1.54 $ | +60.7 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.83 $ | 2.48 $ | -12.4 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.95 $ | 3.39 $ | +14.7 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.72 $ | 1.92 $ | +11.1 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.70 $ | 1.57 $ | -8.1 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.75 $ | 3.02 $ | +10.0 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.53 $ | 2.30 $ | -9.0 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | 17.50 $ | +16.7 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 1.90 $ | 2.33 $ | +22.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 5.25 $ | 2.94 $ | -44.0 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 13.66 $ | 13.50 $ | -1.2 % |
Transportation | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.40 $ | 2.75 $ | +14.6 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 90.00 $ | 96.50 $ | +7.2 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 2.80 $ | 4.00 $ | +42.9 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 2.80 $ | 3.00 $ | +7.1 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 28.00 $ | 39.00 $ | +39.3 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 3.58 $ | 5.14 $ | +43.3 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 30,000.00 $ | 32,000.00 $ | +6.7 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 24,095.29 $ | 27,336.48 $ | +13.5 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 197.39 $ | 254.02 $ | +28.7 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 57.11 $ | 49.73 $ | -12.9 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 69.92 $ | 64.48 $ | -7.8 % |
Sports And Leisure | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 95.56 $ | 102.45 $ | +7.2 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 26.00 $ | 19.00 $ | -26.9 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 16.00 $ | 17.00 $ | +6.2 % |
Childcare | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,416.67 $ | 2,770.37 $ | +14.6 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 28,000.00 $ | 31,333.33 $ | +11.9 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 58.78 $ | 59.19 $ | +0.7 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 44.64 $ | 43.00 $ | -3.7 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 92.89 $ | 104.05 $ | +12.0 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 155.69 $ | 122.53 $ | -21.3 % |
Rent Per Month | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 3,131.60 $ | 3,233.80 $ | +3.3 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,256.09 $ | 2,720.00 $ | +20.6 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 5,183.91 $ | 5,841.46 $ | +12.7 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 3,561.36 $ | 4,927.27 $ | +38.4 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 846.53 $ | 1,199.49 $ | +41.7 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 465.08 $ | 1,096.10 $ | +135.7 % |
Salaries And Financing | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,607.52 $ | 7,519.35 $ | +34.1 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.55 | 6.68 | +2.0 % |
| Last update: | May 2024 | May 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 141 | 202 |
Moving to Boston, MA? Explore:
Moving to San Francisco, CA? Explore:
Cities near Boston, MA: | Cost of Living in Natick, Massachusetts | 18.62 miles |
| Cost of Living in Ashland, Massachusetts | 25.64 miles |
| Cost of Living in Providence, Rhode Island | 51.26 miles |
| Cost of Living in Manchester, New Hampshire | 52.92 miles |
| Cost of Living in East Providence, Rhode Island | 54.16 miles |
| Cost of Living in Concord, New Hampshire | 67.82 miles |
| Cost of Living in Springfield, Massachusetts | 90.79 miles |
| Cost of Living in Westfield, Massachusetts | 96.82 miles |
| Cost of Living in Hartford, Connecticut | 101.66 miles |
| Cost of Living in Northampton, Massachusetts | 103.73 miles |
Cities near San Francisco, CA: | Cost of Living in Oakland, California | 10.67 miles |
| Cost of Living in Piedmont, California | 12.31 miles |
| Cost of Living in Berkeley, California | 13.02 miles |
| Cost of Living in Alameda, California | 15.02 miles |
| Cost of Living in San Rafael, California | 18.32 miles |
| Cost of Living in San Mateo, California | 21.47 miles |
| Cost of Living in Belmont, California | 24.19 miles |
| Cost of Living in Walnut Creek, California | 24.48 miles |
| Cost of Living in Redwood City, California | 26.16 miles |
| Cost of Living in Hayward, California | 26.70 miles |