Cost of Living Comparison Between Boston, MA and San Francisco, CA 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in San Francisco, CA are 11.5% higher than in Boston, MA (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in San Francisco, CA are 16.1% higher than in Boston, MA | |
| Rent Prices in San Francisco, CA are 22.0% higher than in Boston, MA | |
| Restaurant Prices in San Francisco, CA are 1.2% higher than in Boston, MA | |
| Groceries Prices in San Francisco, CA are 13.7% higher than in Boston, MA | |
| Local Purchasing Power in San Francisco, CA is 1.3% higher than in Boston, MA | |
Restaurants | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 24.00 $ | 25.00 $ | +4.2 % |
| 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 $ | 7.00 $ | -12.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 9.00 $ | 8.00 $ | -11.1 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.05 $ | 5.31 $ | +5.1 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.33 $ | 2.72 $ | +17.0 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.25 $ | 2.20 $ | -2.3 % |
Markets | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.36 $ | 5.93 $ | +35.9 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.83 $ | 4.60 $ | +20.1 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.34 $ | 2.41 $ | +2.7 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 5.26 $ | 5.93 $ | +12.7 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 7.76 $ | 8.67 $ | +11.8 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.73 $ | 7.28 $ | +8.2 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 7.54 $ | 8.47 $ | +12.2 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.28 $ | 2.85 $ | +24.9 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.76 $ | 1.61 $ | +111.5 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.36 $ | 2.19 $ | -7.3 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.66 $ | 3.27 $ | +22.9 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.34 $ | 1.95 $ | +45.4 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.58 $ | 1.81 $ | +14.8 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.60 $ | 3.29 $ | +26.6 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.35 $ | 2.39 $ | +1.4 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 17.00 $ | 15.00 $ | -11.8 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.16 $ | 2.58 $ | +19.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.18 $ | 3.53 $ | +11.0 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 13.00 $ | 13.00 $ | 0.0 % |
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 $ | 89.00 $ | -1.1 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.05 $ | 4.00 $ | +31.1 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 3.00 $ | 3.75 $ | +24.8 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 20.00 $ | 38.50 $ | +92.5 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 3.69 $ | 5.44 $ | +47.4 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 24,934.50 $ | 29,399.00 $ | +17.9 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 22,158.00 $ | 25,728.43 $ | +16.1 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 197.42 $ | 271.50 $ | +37.5 % |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) | 0.14 $ | 0.17 $ | +14.9 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 62.98 $ | 70.55 $ | +12.0 % |
Sports And Leisure | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 83.95 $ | 97.65 $ | +16.3 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 22.50 $ | 16.11 $ | -28.4 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 15.00 $ | 16.00 $ | +6.7 % |
Childcare | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,169.23 $ | 2,364.81 $ | +9.0 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 32,166.67 $ | 32,174.22 $ | +0.0 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 58.29 $ | 64.91 $ | +11.4 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 41.71 $ | 48.09 $ | +15.3 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 88.89 $ | 95.00 $ | +6.9 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 122.93 $ | 117.38 $ | -4.5 % |
Rent Per Month | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,801.05 $ | 3,327.91 $ | +18.8 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,010.16 $ | 2,643.30 $ | +31.5 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 5,285.06 $ | 6,005.53 $ | +13.6 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 3,394.23 $ | 4,474.96 $ | +31.8 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,065.41 $ | 1,086.14 $ | +1.9 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 603.77 $ | 995.66 $ | +64.9 % |
Salaries And Financing | Boston, MA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,765.89 $ | 6,781.45 $ | +17.6 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 5.29 | 5.14 | -2.7 % |
| Last update: | June 2023 | June 2023 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 225 | 228 |
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 |