Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco, CA and Seattle, WA 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Seattle, WA is 5.3% lower than in San Francisco, CA (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Seattle, WA is 12.3% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Rent Prices in Seattle, WA are 22.6% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Restaurant Prices in Seattle, WA are 4.4% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Groceries Prices in Seattle, WA are 5.2% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Seattle, WA is 1.1% higher than in San Francisco, CA | |
Restaurants | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 $ | 25.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 130.00 $ | 120.00 $ | -7.7 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 15.00 $ | 14.00 $ | -6.7 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 8.00 $ | 7.75 $ | -3.1 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.00 $ | 8.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.90 $ | 5.70 $ | -3.4 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.32 $ | 2.97 $ | -10.5 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.51 $ | 2.45 $ | -2.5 % |
Markets | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 5.66 $ | 5.18 $ | -8.4 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.59 $ | 4.48 $ | -2.2 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.05 $ | 2.40 $ | -21.4 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 6.12 $ | 6.74 $ | +10.0 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 10.65 $ | 11.29 $ | +6.0 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.79 $ | 7.20 $ | +6.0 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 10.83 $ | 9.31 $ | -14.0 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 3.24 $ | 2.78 $ | -14.2 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.30 $ | 1.27 $ | -2.1 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.37 $ | 2.46 $ | +3.8 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 3.42 $ | 2.98 $ | -12.8 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.73 $ | 1.44 $ | -16.6 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.77 $ | 1.71 $ | -3.5 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.86 $ | 2.76 $ | -3.5 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.80 $ | 2.60 $ | -7.1 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 18.00 $ | 20.00 $ | +11.1 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.57 $ | 2.92 $ | +13.4 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.27 $ | 4.27 $ | +30.6 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 14.00 $ | 11.50 $ | -17.9 % |
Transportation | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 3.00 $ | 2.75 $ | -8.3 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 95.00 $ | 99.00 $ | +4.2 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 4.15 $ | 2.65 $ | -36.1 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 3.25 $ | 2.70 $ | -16.9 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 39.00 $ | 30.00 $ | -23.1 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 4.93 $ | 4.44 $ | -10.0 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 35,000.00 $ | 33,000.00 $ | -5.7 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 25,954.72 $ | 26,031.68 $ | +0.3 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 221.18 $ | 266.06 $ | +20.3 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 64.67 $ | 60.74 $ | -6.1 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 67.26 $ | 75.28 $ | +11.9 % |
Sports And Leisure | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 98.87 $ | 79.18 $ | -19.9 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 12.67 $ | 40.44 $ | +219.3 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 17.00 $ | 16.00 $ | -5.9 % |
Childcare | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 3,170.83 $ | 2,250.00 $ | -29.0 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 38,000.00 $ | 29,375.00 $ | -22.7 % |
Clothing And Shoes | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 68.48 $ | 69.46 $ | +1.4 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 46.00 $ | 52.83 $ | +14.9 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 101.46 $ | 117.73 $ | +16.0 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 148.58 $ | 141.36 $ | -4.9 % |
Rent Per Month | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 3,332.21 $ | 2,347.55 $ | -29.5 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,784.62 $ | 1,864.81 $ | -33.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 5,424.00 $ | 4,663.64 $ | -14.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 4,495.00 $ | 3,537.16 $ | -21.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,008.61 $ | 665.42 $ | -34.0 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 892.82 $ | 480.62 $ | -46.2 % |
Salaries And Financing | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 7,333.44 $ | 6,507.88 $ | -11.3 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.36 | 6.42 | +1.0 % |
| Last update: | 18 June 2025 | 17 June 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 163 | 240 |
Moving to San Francisco, CA? Explore:
Moving to Seattle, WA? 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 Seattle, WA: | Cost of Living in Tacoma, Washington | 35.67 miles |
| Cost of Living in Olympia, Washington | 63.39 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bremerton, Washington | 66.37 miles |
| Cost of Living in Vancouver, Washington | 166.62 miles |
| Cost of Living in Portland, Oregon | 176.13 miles |