Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco, CA and Washington, DC 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Washington, DC is 11.0% lower than in San Francisco, CA (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Washington, DC is 12.1% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Rent Prices in Washington, DC are 13.7% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Restaurant Prices in Washington, DC are 5.2% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Groceries Prices in Washington, DC are 17.9% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Washington, DC is 11.9% 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 | 120.00 $ | 100.00 $ | -16.7 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 12.00 $ | 12.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| 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) | 5.76 $ | 5.66 $ | -1.7 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.87 $ | 2.83 $ | -1.4 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.18 $ | 2.34 $ | +7.4 % |
Markets | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 5.93 $ | 4.19 $ | -29.3 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.53 $ | 3.81 $ | -15.8 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.32 $ | 2.71 $ | -18.4 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 5.46 $ | 4.04 $ | -26.0 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 11.37 $ | 6.72 $ | -40.9 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.71 $ | 6.96 $ | +3.6 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 10.22 $ | 8.18 $ | -19.9 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 3.33 $ | 2.83 $ | -15.2 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.41 $ | 0.88 $ | -37.7 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.52 $ | 2.41 $ | -4.1 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 3.79 $ | 2.78 $ | -26.6 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 2.07 $ | 1.68 $ | -18.9 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 2.05 $ | 1.72 $ | -15.8 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.11 $ | 2.61 $ | -16.2 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.58 $ | 2.57 $ | -0.3 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 18.00 $ | 16.00 $ | -11.1 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.50 $ | 2.55 $ | +1.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.12 $ | 5.24 $ | +67.9 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 14.00 $ | 11.75 $ | -16.1 % |
Transportation | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.50 $ | 2.50 $ | 0.0 % |
| 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) | 5.22 $ | 3.61 $ | -30.9 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 36,753.89 $ | 35,699.74 $ | -2.9 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 25,811.48 $ | 26,199.58 $ | +1.5 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 242.79 $ | 196.01 $ | -19.3 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 56.23 $ | 57.20 $ | +1.7 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 67.93 $ | 66.40 $ | -2.3 % |
Sports And Leisure | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 95.60 $ | 108.08 $ | +13.1 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 15.17 $ | 31.22 $ | +105.8 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 17.00 $ | 17.36 $ | +2.1 % |
Childcare | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,829.63 $ | 2,410.75 $ | -14.8 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 38,000.00 $ | 38,600.00 $ | +1.6 % |
Clothing And Shoes | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 61.19 $ | 77.65 $ | +26.9 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 45.08 $ | 51.47 $ | +14.2 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 104.32 $ | 109.37 $ | +4.8 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 147.15 $ | 172.09 $ | +16.9 % |
Rent Per Month | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 3,196.72 $ | 2,644.57 $ | -17.3 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,788.00 $ | 2,046.38 $ | -26.6 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 5,630.58 $ | 5,376.32 $ | -4.5 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 4,584.21 $ | 3,919.69 $ | -14.5 % |
Buy Apartment Price | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,053.74 $ | 841.88 $ | -20.1 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 986.44 $ | 582.34 $ | -41.0 % |
Salaries And Financing | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Washington, DC Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 7,452.22 $ | 5,770.93 $ | -22.6 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.54 | 6.54 | -0.0 % |
| Last update: | December 2024 | December 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 217 | 175 |
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 |