Cost of Living: Monterey, CA vs San Francisco, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Monterey, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Francisco, CA. In the model, rent is about 33.34% of gross in Monterey, CA versus 35.25% in San Francisco, CA, so Monterey, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Monterey, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in San Francisco, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Monterey, CA
33.34%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in San Francisco, CA
35.25%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Monterey, CA and San Francisco, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Monterey, CA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Monterey, CA
  • Lower home prices: Monterey, CA
  • Higher median household income: San Francisco, CA

Cost of Living Index

Monterey, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · San Francisco, CA: 225.8 (U.S. = 100)

Monterey, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than San Francisco, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Monterey, CA: $2,174/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Francisco, CA: $2,298/mo

Median rent in San Francisco, CA is $124/mo higher than in Monterey, CA.

Median Home Price

Monterey, CA: $1,003,300 · San Francisco, CA: $1,380,500

Median home price in San Francisco, CA is $377,200 higher than in Monterey, CA.

Median Household Income

Monterey, CA: $104,110 · San Francisco, CA: $141,446

San Francisco, CA has a higher median household income than Monterey, CA by $37,336.

Monterey, CA overview · San Francisco, CA overview · Popular comparisons