Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco, CA and Palo Alto, CA 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Palo Alto, CA are 11.4% lower than in San Francisco, CA (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Palo Alto, CA are 5.5% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Rent Prices in Palo Alto, CA are 1.5% higher than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Restaurant Prices in Palo Alto, CA are 7.7% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Groceries Prices in Palo Alto, CA are 19.9% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Palo Alto, CA is 43.0% higher than in San Francisco, CA | |
Restaurants | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Palo Alto, CA Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 $ | 20.00 $ | -20.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 100.00 $ | 100.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 12.00 $ | 11.50 $ | -4.2 % |
| 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 $ | 5.10 $ | -8.9 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.72 $ | 2.88 $ | +6.2 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.32 $ | 2.48 $ | +7.1 % |
Markets | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Palo Alto, CA Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 5.87 $ | 5.07 $ | -13.5 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.36 $ | 4.93 $ | +13.3 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.99 $ | 2.19 $ | -26.8 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 5.20 $ | 5.17 $ | -0.6 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 9.23 $ | 7.50 $ | -18.8 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 7.04 $ | 4.39 $ | -37.6 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 9.19 $ | 7.06 $ | -23.2 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 3.09 $ | 2.58 $ | -16.5 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.54 $ | 1.04 $ | -32.5 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.48 $ | 1.45 $ | -41.5 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 3.39 $ | 2.67 $ | -21.0 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.92 $ | 1.62 $ | -15.5 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.57 $ | 1.81 $ | +15.9 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.02 $ | 2.00 $ | -33.8 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.30 $ | 2.00 $ | -13.1 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 17.50 $ | 15.00 $ | -14.3 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.33 $ | 1.81 $ | -22.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 2.94 $ | 2.99 $ | +2.0 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 13.50 $ | 11.00 $ | -18.5 % |
Transportation | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Palo Alto, CA Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.88 $ | 2.50 $ | -13.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 96.50 $ | 90.00 $ | -6.7 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 4.00 $ | 3.50 $ | -12.5 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 3.00 $ | 3.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 39.00 $ | 30.00 $ | -23.1 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 5.14 $ | 4.80 $ | -6.5 % |
| 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 $ | 27,448.64 $ | +0.4 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Palo Alto, CA Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 254.02 $ | 257.85 $ | +1.5 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 49.73 $ | 48.67 $ | -2.1 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 64.48 $ | 67.00 $ | +3.9 % |
Sports And Leisure | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Palo Alto, CA Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 102.45 $ | 120.00 $ | +17.1 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 19.00 $ | 20.00 $ | +5.3 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 17.00 $ | 15.00 $ | -11.8 % |
Childcare | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Palo Alto, CA Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,770.37 $ | 2,158.33 $ | -22.1 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 31,333.33 $ | 47,500.00 $ | +51.6 % |
Clothing And Shoes | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Palo Alto, CA Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 59.23 $ | 48.48 $ | -18.1 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 42.73 $ | 38.90 $ | -9.0 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 106.14 $ | 80.00 $ | -24.6 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 122.53 $ | 115.77 $ | -5.5 % |
Rent Per Month | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Palo Alto, CA Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 3,251.73 $ | 3,042.78 $ | -6.4 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,738.46 $ | 2,848.75 $ | +4.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 5,915.80 $ | 5,833.33 $ | -1.4 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 5,000.00 $ | 5,433.33 $ | +8.7 % |
Buy Apartment Price | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Palo Alto, CA Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,254.08 $ | ? | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,116.49 $ | ? | |
Salaries And Financing | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Palo Alto, CA Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 7,498.42 $ | 10,137.18 $ | +35.2 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.73 | 6.61 | -1.8 % |
| Last update: | May 2024 | May 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 207 | 17 |
Moving to San Francisco, CA? Explore:
Moving to Palo Alto, CA? 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 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 |