Cost of Living: Redwood City, 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 Redwood City, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Francisco, CA. In the model, rent is about 43.11% of gross in Redwood City, CA versus 35.25% in San Francisco, CA, so San Francisco, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Redwood City, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in San Francisco, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Redwood City, CA
43.11%
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 Redwood City, CA and San Francisco, CA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

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

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

Median Rent

Redwood City, CA: $2,811/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Francisco, CA: $2,298/mo

Median rent in Redwood City, CA is $513/mo higher than in San Francisco, CA.

Median Home Price

Redwood City, CA: $1,838,800 · San Francisco, CA: $1,380,500

Median home price in Redwood City, CA is $458,300 higher than in San Francisco, CA.

Median Household Income

Redwood City, CA: $150,840 · San Francisco, CA: $141,446

Redwood City, CA has a higher median household income than San Francisco, CA by $9,394.

Redwood City, CA overview · San Francisco, CA overview · Popular comparisons