Cost of Living: Palm Desert, 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 Palm Desert, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Francisco, CA. In the model, rent is about 25.01% of gross in Palm Desert, CA versus 35.25% in San Francisco, CA, so Palm Desert, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Palm Desert, CA and San Francisco, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Palm Desert, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Palm Desert, CA
- Lower home prices: Palm Desert, CA
- Higher median household income: San Francisco, CA
Cost of Living Index
Palm Desert, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · San Francisco, CA: 225.8 (U.S. = 100)
Palm Desert, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than San Francisco, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Palm Desert, CA: $1,631/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Francisco, CA: $2,298/mo
Median rent in San Francisco, CA is $667/mo higher than in Palm Desert, CA.
Median Home Price
Palm Desert, CA: $491,600 · San Francisco, CA: $1,380,500
Median home price in San Francisco, CA is $888,900 higher than in Palm Desert, CA.
Median Household Income
Palm Desert, CA: $79,508 · San Francisco, CA: $141,446
San Francisco, CA has a higher median household income than Palm Desert, CA by $61,938.
Palm Desert, CA overview · San Francisco, CA overview · Popular comparisons