Cost of Living Comparison Between London and San Francisco, CA 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in San Francisco, CA is 11.9% higher than in London (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in San Francisco, CA is 12.9% higher than in London | |
| Rent Prices in San Francisco, CA are 14.5% higher than in London | |
| Restaurant Prices in San Francisco, CA are 21.9% higher than in London | |
| Groceries Prices in San Francisco, CA are 48.0% higher than in London | |
| Local Purchasing Power in San Francisco, CA is 35.3% higher than in London | |
Restaurants | London Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant |
20.00 £ (26.75 $) |
22.43 £ (30.00 $) |
+12.2 % |
| Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) |
80.00 £ (106.98 $) |
112.17 £ (150.00 $) |
+40.2 % |
| Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) |
8.50 £ (11.37 $) |
11.22 £ (15.00 $) |
+32.0 % |
| Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) |
6.50 £ (8.69 $) |
5.98 £ (8.00 $) |
-8.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) |
6.00 £ (8.02 $) |
6.73 £ (9.00 $) |
+12.2 % |
| Cappuccino (Regular Size) |
4.05 £ (5.41 $) |
4.28 £ (5.72 $) |
+5.7 % |
| Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) |
2.33 £ (3.12 $) |
2.40 £ (3.21 $) |
+2.9 % |
| Bottled Water (12 oz) |
1.53 £ (2.05 $) |
1.99 £ (2.67 $) |
+30.2 % |
Markets | London Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) |
1.30 £ (1.73 $) |
1.15 £ (1.54 $) |
-11.4 % |
| Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) |
1.46 £ (1.95 $) |
3.51 £ (4.69 $) |
+140.8 % |
| White Rice (1 lb) |
0.85 £ (1.14 $) |
2.07 £ (2.77 $) |
+142.6 % |
| Eggs (12, Large Size) |
3.69 £ (4.94 $) |
4.62 £ (6.18 $) |
+25.3 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
3.94 £ (5.27 $) |
7.77 £ (10.39 $) |
+97.1 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
3.03 £ (4.05 $) |
4.44 £ (5.93 $) |
+46.6 % |
| Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) |
5.63 £ (7.53 $) |
7.88 £ (10.54 $) |
+40.0 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
1.10 £ (1.47 $) |
2.43 £ (3.25 $) |
+121.1 % |
| Bananas (1 lb) |
0.55 £ (0.74 $) |
0.97 £ (1.30 $) |
+74.8 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
0.99 £ (1.33 $) |
1.87 £ (2.50 $) |
+88.9 % |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
1.14 £ (1.52 $) |
2.58 £ (3.46 $) |
+127.2 % |
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
0.57 £ (0.76 $) |
1.21 £ (1.62 $) |
+111.4 % |
| Onions (1 lb) |
0.60 £ (0.80 $) |
1.45 £ (1.93 $) |
+140.1 % |
| Lettuce (1 Head) |
1.09 £ (1.46 $) |
2.20 £ (2.94 $) |
+101.7 % |
| Bottled Water (50 oz) |
1.33 £ (1.77 $) |
2.13 £ (2.85 $) |
+60.9 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
9.00 £ (12.04 $) |
13.46 £ (18.00 $) |
+49.6 % |
| Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) |
2.51 £ (3.35 $) |
2.21 £ (2.95 $) |
-12.1 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) |
3.09 £ (4.13 $) |
2.75 £ (3.68 $) |
-11.0 % |
| Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) |
17.00 £ (22.73 $) |
9.72 £ (13.00 $) |
-42.8 % |
Transportation | London Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) |
3.50 £ (4.68 $) |
2.24 £ (3.00 $) |
-35.9 % |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) |
180.00 £ (240.71 $) |
69.17 £ (92.50 $) |
-61.6 % |
| Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) |
4.20 £ (5.62 $) |
3.10 £ (4.15 $) |
-26.1 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) |
3.99 £ (5.34 $) |
2.44 £ (3.27 $) |
-38.8 % |
| Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) |
38.00 £ (50.82 $) |
29.16 £ (39.00 $) |
-23.3 % |
| Gasoline (1 Liter) |
1.39 £ (1.86 $) |
0.95 £ (1.26 $) |
-32.1 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) |
28,590.00 £ (38,231.99 $) |
27,667.22 £ (36,998.00 $) |
-3.2 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) |
30,282.24 £ (40,494.94 $) |
19,487.31 £ (26,059.42 $) |
-35.6 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | London Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) |
262.89 £ (351.55 $) |
173.33 £ (231.78 $) |
-34.1 % |
| Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) |
14.00 £ (18.72 $) |
49.81 £ (66.61 $) |
+255.8 % |
| Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) |
32.91 £ (44.00 $) |
52.23 £ (69.84 $) |
+58.7 % |
Sports And Leisure | London Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Monthly Fitness Club Membership |
52.50 £ (70.21 $) |
85.22 £ (113.95 $) |
+62.3 % |
| Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) |
18.59 £ (24.86 $) |
16.36 £ (21.88 $) |
-12.0 % |
| Cinema Ticket (International Release) |
15.00 £ (20.06 $) |
12.71 £ (17.00 $) |
-15.2 % |
Childcare | London Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child |
1,902.53 £ (2,544.16 $) |
2,256.99 £ (3,018.16 $) |
+18.6 % |
| International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child |
23,034.62 £ (30,803.07 $) |
31,407.73 £ (42,000.00 $) |
+36.4 % |
Clothing And Shoes | London Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) |
88.42 £ (118.24 $) |
52.81 £ (70.62 $) |
-40.3 % |
| Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) |
39.07 £ (52.25 $) |
34.96 £ (46.75 $) |
-10.5 % |
| Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
92.74 £ (124.02 $) |
74.58 £ (99.74 $) |
-19.6 % |
| Men's Leather Business Shoes |
107.27 £ (143.45 $) |
94.05 £ (125.76 $) |
-12.3 % |
Rent Per Month | London Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre |
2,299.13 £ (3,074.51 $) |
2,493.19 £ (3,334.02 $) |
+8.4 % |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre |
1,707.14 £ (2,282.88 $) |
2,001.48 £ (2,676.48 $) |
+17.2 % |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre |
3,789.29 £ (5,067.22 $) |
4,150.31 £ (5,550.00 $) |
+9.5 % |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre |
2,736.45 £ (3,659.32 $) |
3,409.98 £ (4,560.00 $) |
+24.6 % |
Buy Apartment Price | London Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
1,291.12 £ (1,726.56 $) |
757.36 £ (1,012.78 $) |
-41.3 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
702.77 £ (939.78 $) |
637.93 £ (853.08 $) |
-9.2 % |
Salaries And Financing | London Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
3,529.01 £ (4,719.17 $) |
5,390.68 £ (7,208.69 $) |
+52.8 % |
| Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) | 4.66 | 6.31 | +35.3 % |
| Last update: | 13 December 2025 | 11 December 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 583 | 193 |
Moving to London? Explore:
Moving to San Francisco, CA? Explore:
Cities near London: | Cost of Living in Westminster | 2.09 miles |
| Cost of Living in Southwark | 3.41 miles |
| Cost of Living in Ealing | 10.41 miles |
| Cost of Living in Croydon | 11.15 miles |
| Cost of Living in Kingston upon Thames | 11.19 miles |
| Cost of Living in Barnet | 16.17 miles |
| Cost of Living in Watford | 20.33 miles |
| Cost of Living in Slough | 22.72 miles |
| Cost of Living in Harlow | 24.88 miles |
| Cost of Living in Welwyn Garden City | 25.71 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 |