Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco, CA and Boston, MA 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Boston, MA is 4.2% lower than in San Francisco, CA (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Boston, MA is 7.5% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Rent Prices in Boston, MA are 11.6% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Restaurant Prices in Boston, MA are 2.7% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Groceries Prices in Boston, MA are 4.1% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Boston, MA is 21.3% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
Restaurants | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Boston, MA Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 $ | 22.50 $ | -10.0 % |
| 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) | 8.00 $ | 10.00 $ | +25.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.60 $ | 5.62 $ | +0.4 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.72 $ | 2.86 $ | +5.2 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.27 $ | 2.56 $ | +12.6 % |
Markets | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Boston, MA Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 5.87 $ | 4.84 $ | -17.7 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.31 $ | 4.00 $ | -7.3 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.04 $ | 2.77 $ | -8.7 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 5.24 $ | 4.79 $ | -8.5 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 9.17 $ | 9.50 $ | +3.6 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.94 $ | 6.42 $ | -7.5 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 9.19 $ | 9.43 $ | +2.5 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 3.02 $ | 2.59 $ | -14.2 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.52 $ | 0.96 $ | -36.7 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.43 $ | 2.83 $ | +16.6 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 3.40 $ | 2.95 $ | -13.3 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.92 $ | 1.72 $ | -10.0 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.66 $ | 1.70 $ | +2.4 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.02 $ | 2.75 $ | -9.1 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.30 $ | 2.53 $ | +9.9 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 17.75 $ | 15.00 $ | -15.5 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.39 $ | 1.90 $ | -20.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.19 $ | 5.25 $ | +64.7 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 13.50 $ | 13.66 $ | +1.2 % |
Transportation | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Boston, MA Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.60 $ | 2.40 $ | -7.7 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 95.00 $ | 90.00 $ | -5.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 4.00 $ | 2.80 $ | -30.0 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 3.00 $ | 2.80 $ | -6.7 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 39.00 $ | 28.00 $ | -28.2 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 5.19 $ | 3.58 $ | -30.9 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 32,000.00 $ | 30,000.00 $ | -6.2 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 27,336.48 $ | 24,095.29 $ | -11.9 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Boston, MA Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 249.85 $ | 197.39 $ | -21.0 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 49.73 $ | 57.11 $ | +14.8 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 63.52 $ | 69.92 $ | +10.1 % |
Sports And Leisure | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Boston, MA Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 104.33 $ | 95.56 $ | -8.4 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 19.00 $ | 26.00 $ | +36.8 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 17.00 $ | 16.00 $ | -5.9 % |
Childcare | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Boston, MA Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,843.33 $ | 2,416.67 $ | -15.0 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 31,333.33 $ | 28,000.00 $ | -10.6 % |
Clothing And Shoes | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Boston, MA Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 59.68 $ | 58.78 $ | -1.5 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 42.73 $ | 44.64 $ | +4.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 106.14 $ | 92.89 $ | -12.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 122.53 $ | 155.69 $ | +27.1 % |
Rent Per Month | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Boston, MA Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 3,159.80 $ | 3,114.44 $ | -1.4 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,639.13 $ | 2,275.21 $ | -13.8 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 5,523.57 $ | 5,183.91 $ | -6.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 4,665.00 $ | 3,561.36 $ | -23.7 % |
Buy Apartment Price | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Boston, MA Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,093.12 $ | 846.53 $ | -22.6 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 985.71 $ | 465.08 $ | -52.8 % |
Salaries And Financing | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Boston, MA Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 7,707.71 $ | 5,607.52 $ | -27.2 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.56 | 6.55 | -0.2 % |
| Last update: | May 2024 | May 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 210 | 145 |
Moving to San Francisco, CA? Explore:
Moving to Boston, MA? Explore:
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 |
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 |