Cost of Living: San Francisco, CA vs South 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 San Francisco, CA versus $3,974/mo in South San Francisco, CA. In the model, rent is about 35.25% of gross in San Francisco, CA versus 41.28% in South San Francisco, CA, so San Francisco, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in San Francisco, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in South San Francisco, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in San Francisco, CA
35.25%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in South San Francisco, CA
41.28%
COLI tier: mid-range

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

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

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

Median Rent

San Francisco, CA: $2,298/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · South San Francisco, CA: $2,692/mo

Median rent in South San Francisco, CA is $394/mo higher than in San Francisco, CA.

Median Home Price

San Francisco, CA: $1,380,500 · South San Francisco, CA: $1,160,100

Median home price in San Francisco, CA is $220,400 higher than in South San Francisco, CA.

Median Household Income

San Francisco, CA: $141,446 · South San Francisco, CA: $135,909

San Francisco, CA has a higher median household income than South San Francisco, CA by $5,537.

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