Cost of Living: Oakland, 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 Oakland, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Francisco, CA. In the model, rent is about 27.93% of gross in Oakland, CA versus 35.25% in San Francisco, CA, so Oakland, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Oakland, CA and San Francisco, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Oakland, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Oakland, CA
- Lower home prices: Oakland, CA
- Higher median household income: San Francisco, CA
Cost of Living Index
Oakland, CA: 165.2 (U.S. = 100) · San Francisco, CA: 225.8 (U.S. = 100)
Oakland, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than San Francisco, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Oakland, CA: $1,821/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Francisco, CA: $2,298/mo
Median rent in San Francisco, CA is $477/mo higher than in Oakland, CA.
Median Home Price
Oakland, CA: $924,700 · San Francisco, CA: $1,380,500
Median home price in San Francisco, CA is $455,800 higher than in Oakland, CA.
Median Household Income
Oakland, CA: $97,369 · San Francisco, CA: $141,446
San Francisco, CA has a higher median household income than Oakland, CA by $44,077.
Oakland, CA overview · San Francisco, CA overview · Popular comparisons