Cost of Living Comparison Between Palo Alto, CA and San Francisco, CA 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in San Francisco, CA are 31.2% higher than in Palo Alto, CA (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in San Francisco, CA are 20.7% higher than in Palo Alto, CA | |
| Rent Prices in San Francisco, CA are 10.3% higher than in Palo Alto, CA | |
| Restaurant Prices in San Francisco, CA are 24.5% higher than in Palo Alto, CA | |
| Groceries Prices in San Francisco, CA are 33.5% higher than in Palo Alto, CA | |
| Local Purchasing Power in San Francisco, CA is 39.6% lower than in Palo Alto, CA | |
Restaurants | Palo Alto, CA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 17.50 $ | 25.00 $ | +42.9 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 90.00 $ | 100.00 $ | +11.1 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 9.50 $ | 12.00 $ | +26.3 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 7.00 $ | 7.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 6.00 $ | 8.00 $ | +33.3 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 4.47 $ | 5.16 $ | +15.2 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.42 $ | 2.80 $ | +15.9 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 1.46 $ | 2.28 $ | +56.2 % |
Markets | Palo Alto, CA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 3.59 $ | 5.80 $ | +61.6 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.36 $ | 4.14 $ | -5.2 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.90 $ | 2.33 $ | +22.1 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 5.27 $ | 4.94 $ | -6.3 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.00 $ | 8.53 $ | +42.2 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 1.98 $ | 7.53 $ | +280.4 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 5.99 $ | 8.57 $ | +43.0 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.97 $ | 2.99 $ | +0.5 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.95 $ | 1.54 $ | +62.3 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.62 $ | 2.22 $ | +36.7 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.83 $ | 2.92 $ | +3.2 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.70 $ | 1.98 $ | +16.6 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.52 $ | 1.61 $ | +6.4 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 1.59 $ | 2.78 $ | +74.9 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.31 $ | 2.44 $ | +5.8 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 12.50 $ | 15.00 $ | +20.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 1.21 $ | 2.78 $ | +129.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 1.65 $ | 3.85 $ | +133.5 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 9.25 $ | 13.50 $ | +45.9 % |
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 $ | 88.00 $ | -2.2 % |
| 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) | 4.70 $ | 5.96 $ | +26.9 % |
| 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 | 165.62 $ | 249.48 $ | +50.6 % |
| 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) | 52.85 $ | 67.40 $ | +27.5 % |
Sports And Leisure | Palo Alto, CA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 50.00 $ | 102.13 $ | +104.3 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 20.00 $ | 18.28 $ | -8.6 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 13.00 $ | 17.00 $ | +30.8 % |
Childcare | Palo Alto, CA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 3,500.00 $ | 2,450.00 $ | -30.0 % |
| 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) | 57.11 $ | 64.89 $ | +13.6 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 42.50 $ | 45.96 $ | +8.1 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 75.83 $ | 87.36 $ | +15.2 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 89.00 $ | 120.61 $ | +35.5 % |
Rent Per Month | Palo Alto, CA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,444.44 $ | 3,282.00 $ | +34.3 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,800.00 $ | 2,579.66 $ | +43.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 5,500.00 $ | 5,777.96 $ | +5.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 4,800.00 $ | 4,404.50 $ | -8.2 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Palo Alto, CA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,649.99 $ | 1,074.84 $ | -34.9 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,199.99 $ | 958.17 $ | -20.2 % |
Salaries And Financing | Palo Alto, CA Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 8,346.00 $ | 6,087.03 $ | -27.1 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 5.43 | 5.02 | -7.6 % |
| Last update: | February 2023 | January 2023 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 18 | 221 |
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 |