Cost of Living: Arlington, MA vs San Francisco, CA
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,224/mo in Arlington, MA versus $3,974/mo in San Francisco, CA. In the model, rent is about 29.78% of gross in Arlington, MA versus 35.25% in San Francisco, CA, so Arlington, MA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Arlington, MA and San Francisco, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Arlington, MA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Arlington, MA
- Lower home prices: Arlington, MA
- Higher median household income: San Francisco, CA
Cost of Living Index
Arlington, MA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · San Francisco, CA: 225.8 (U.S. = 100)
Arlington, MA has a lower cost-of-living index than San Francisco, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Arlington, MA: $1,941/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Francisco, CA: $2,298/mo
Median rent in San Francisco, CA is $357/mo higher than in Arlington, MA.
Median Home Price
Arlington, MA: $885,000 · San Francisco, CA: $1,380,500
Median home price in San Francisco, CA is $495,500 higher than in Arlington, MA.
Median Household Income
Arlington, MA: $141,440 · San Francisco, CA: $141,446
San Francisco, CA has a higher median household income than Arlington, MA by $6.
Arlington, MA overview · San Francisco, CA overview · Popular comparisons