Cost of Living: Mountain View, 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 Mountain View, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Francisco, CA. In the model, rent is about 43.35% of gross in Mountain View, CA versus 35.25% in San Francisco, CA, so San Francisco, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Mountain View, CA and San Francisco, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Mountain View, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): San Francisco, CA
- Lower home prices: San Francisco, CA
- Higher median household income: Mountain View, CA
Cost of Living Index
Mountain View, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · San Francisco, CA: 225.8 (U.S. = 100)
Mountain View, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than San Francisco, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Mountain View, CA: $2,827/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Francisco, CA: $2,298/mo
Median rent in Mountain View, CA is $529/mo higher than in San Francisco, CA.
Median Home Price
Mountain View, CA: $1,927,400 · San Francisco, CA: $1,380,500
Median home price in Mountain View, CA is $546,900 higher than in San Francisco, CA.
Median Household Income
Mountain View, CA: $179,917 · San Francisco, CA: $141,446
Mountain View, CA has a higher median household income than San Francisco, CA by $38,471.
Mountain View, CA overview · San Francisco, CA overview · Popular comparisons