Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco, CA and Washington, DC 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Washington, DC is 8.7% lower than in San Francisco, CA (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Washington, DC is 8.5% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Rent Prices in Washington, DC are 8.3% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Restaurant Prices in Washington, DC are 2.8% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Groceries Prices in Washington, DC are 13.1% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Washington, DC is 9.4% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
Restaurants | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 $ | 25.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 125.00 $ | 120.00 $ | -4.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 14.00 $ | 12.00 $ | -14.3 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 8.00 $ | 8.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.15 $ | 10.00 $ | +22.7 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.86 $ | 5.63 $ | -4.0 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.18 $ | 3.02 $ | -5.1 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.43 $ | 2.67 $ | +9.8 % |
Markets | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 5.72 $ | 4.28 $ | -25.2 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.59 $ | 4.04 $ | -11.9 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.05 $ | 3.15 $ | +3.5 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 5.91 $ | 4.26 $ | -27.9 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 10.76 $ | 7.73 $ | -28.2 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.68 $ | 6.96 $ | +4.1 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 10.59 $ | 8.64 $ | -18.4 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 3.24 $ | 2.75 $ | -15.2 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.30 $ | 0.91 $ | -30.2 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.37 $ | 2.36 $ | -0.6 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 3.42 $ | 2.84 $ | -16.8 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.73 $ | 1.54 $ | -10.8 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.77 $ | 1.69 $ | -4.9 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.87 $ | 2.59 $ | -9.6 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.78 $ | 2.51 $ | -9.9 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 18.00 $ | 16.00 $ | -11.1 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.57 $ | 2.87 $ | +11.4 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.27 $ | 4.58 $ | +40.1 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 14.00 $ | 12.50 $ | -10.7 % |
Transportation | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 3.00 $ | 2.50 $ | -16.7 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 92.50 $ | 75.00 $ | -18.9 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 4.15 $ | 4.00 $ | -3.6 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 3.25 $ | 4.00 $ | +23.1 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 39.00 $ | 30.00 $ | -23.1 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 5.15 $ | 3.45 $ | -32.9 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 35,000.00 $ | 30,000.00 $ | -14.3 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 25,954.72 $ | 25,775.73 $ | -0.7 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 229.35 $ | 208.70 $ | -9.0 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 62.91 $ | 59.67 $ | -5.1 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 67.40 $ | 68.08 $ | +1.0 % |
Sports And Leisure | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 99.96 $ | 110.59 $ | +10.6 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 12.67 $ | 38.41 $ | +203.3 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 17.00 $ | 17.00 $ | 0.0 % |
Childcare | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,870.83 $ | 2,685.75 $ | -6.4 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 38,000.00 $ | 40,166.67 $ | +5.7 % |
Clothing And Shoes | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 64.76 $ | 79.65 $ | +23.0 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 43.79 $ | 50.22 $ | +14.7 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 102.60 $ | 102.51 $ | -0.1 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 145.62 $ | 144.31 $ | -0.9 % |
Rent Per Month | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 3,258.76 $ | 2,539.00 $ | -22.1 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,784.00 $ | 2,085.83 $ | -25.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 5,475.00 $ | 5,909.38 $ | +7.9 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 4,555.00 $ | 4,200.94 $ | -7.8 % |
Buy Apartment Price | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,026.28 $ | 700.01 $ | -31.8 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 923.92 $ | 571.34 $ | -38.2 % |
Salaries And Financing | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 7,260.42 $ | 6,016.07 $ | -17.1 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.36 | 6.48 | +1.9 % |
| Last update: | May 2025 | May 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 176 | 144 |
Moving to San Francisco, CA? Explore:
Moving to Washington, DC? 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 Washington, DC: | Cost of Living in Arlington, Virginia | 4.38 miles |
| Cost of Living in Chevy Chase, Maryland | 7.01 miles |
| Cost of Living in Springfield, Virginia | 13.51 miles |
| Cost of Living in Rockville, Maryland | 17.91 miles |
| Cost of Living in Baltimore, Maryland | 38.92 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fredericksburg, Virginia | 52.45 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lexington Park, Maryland | 61.00 miles |
| Cost of Living in Richmond, Virginia | 106.83 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 113.70 miles |
| Cost of Living in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | 117.62 miles |