Cost of Living Comparison Between Palo Alto, CA and San Francisco, CA 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in San Francisco, CA are 26.8% higher than in Palo Alto, CA (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in San Francisco, CA are 19.2% higher than in Palo Alto, CA | |
| Rent Prices in San Francisco, CA are 11.4% higher than in Palo Alto, CA | |
| Restaurant Prices in San Francisco, CA are 13.3% higher than in Palo Alto, CA | |
| Groceries Prices in San Francisco, CA are 31.5% higher than in Palo Alto, CA | |
| Local Purchasing Power in San Francisco, CA is 36.2% lower than in Palo Alto, CA | |
Restaurants | Palo Alto, CA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 22.00 $ | 25.00 $ | +13.6 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 90.00 $ | 100.00 $ | +11.1 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 10.00 $ | 12.00 $ | +20.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 7.25 $ | 7.00 $ | -3.4 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 6.00 $ | 8.00 $ | +33.3 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 4.64 $ | 5.20 $ | +11.9 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.38 $ | 2.76 $ | +16.2 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 1.72 $ | 2.27 $ | +31.4 % |
Markets | Palo Alto, CA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.80 $ | 5.76 $ | +20.2 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.61 $ | 4.40 $ | -4.6 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.90 $ | 2.55 $ | +34.0 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 5.33 $ | 5.31 $ | -0.5 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.00 $ | 8.64 $ | +44.1 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 1.98 $ | 7.38 $ | +272.9 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 5.99 $ | 8.75 $ | +46.1 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 3.00 $ | 2.96 $ | -1.3 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.95 $ | 1.63 $ | +72.4 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.78 $ | 2.33 $ | +31.3 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 3.26 $ | 3.15 $ | -3.5 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.79 $ | 2.08 $ | +15.8 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.52 $ | 1.71 $ | +13.0 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 1.59 $ | 3.20 $ | +101.1 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.54 $ | 2.38 $ | -6.1 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 13.50 $ | 15.00 $ | +11.1 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 1.21 $ | 2.81 $ | +131.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 1.65 $ | 3.85 $ | +133.5 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 9.50 $ | 13.25 $ | +39.5 % |
Transportation | Palo Alto, CA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.50 $ | 2.75 $ | +10.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 90.00 $ | 87.50 $ | -2.8 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.20 $ | 4.00 $ | +25.0 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 3.00 $ | 3.13 $ | +4.5 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 40.00 $ | 33.00 $ | -17.5 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 4.83 $ | 5.75 $ | +19.0 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 18,502.50 $ | 28,654.00 $ | +54.9 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 22,000.00 $ | 25,728.43 $ | +16.9 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Palo Alto, CA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 168.93 $ | 258.26 $ | +52.9 % |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) | 0.16 $ | 0.18 $ | +10.8 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 51.93 $ | 69.37 $ | +33.6 % |
Sports And Leisure | Palo Alto, CA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 50.00 $ | 97.19 $ | +94.4 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 20.00 $ | 16.87 $ | -15.6 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 13.00 $ | 16.00 $ | +23.1 % |
Childcare | Palo Alto, CA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,061.11 $ | 2,457.14 $ | +19.2 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 17,000.00 $ | 33,071.00 $ | +94.5 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Palo Alto, CA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 56.56 $ | 66.04 $ | +16.8 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 42.50 $ | 47.43 $ | +11.6 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 75.83 $ | 88.60 $ | +16.8 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 104.50 $ | 120.61 $ | +15.4 % |
Rent Per Month | Palo Alto, CA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,444.44 $ | 3,275.90 $ | +34.0 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,800.00 $ | 2,579.66 $ | +43.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 5,500.00 $ | 5,894.00 $ | +7.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 4,800.00 $ | 4,449.95 $ | -7.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Palo Alto, CA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,649.99 $ | 1,058.85 $ | -35.8 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,199.99 $ | 971.53 $ | -19.0 % |
Salaries And Financing | Palo Alto, CA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 8,346.00 $ | 6,343.75 $ | -24.0 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 5.43 | 5.02 | -7.6 % |
| Last update: | March 2023 | March 2023 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 17 | 231 |
Moving to Palo Alto, CA? Explore:
Moving to San Francisco, CA? Explore:
Cities near Palo Alto, CA: | Cost of Living in Stanford, California | 2.43 miles |
| Cost of Living in Sunnyvale, California | 11.57 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fremont, California | 16.68 miles |
| Cost of Living in San Jose, California | 19.39 miles |
| Cost of Living in Hayward, California | 20.77 miles |
| Cost of Living in Pleasanton, California | 32.11 miles |
| Cost of Living in San Francisco, California | 33.53 miles |
| Cost of Living in Oakland, California | 34.05 miles |
| Cost of Living in Berkeley, California | 39.06 miles |
| Cost of Living in Santa Cruz, California | 44.06 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 |