Cost of Living: Sunnyvale, 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 Sunnyvale, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Francisco, CA. In the model, rent is about 44.66% of gross in Sunnyvale, 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 Sunnyvale, CA and San Francisco, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Sunnyvale, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): San Francisco, CA
- Lower home prices: San Francisco, CA
- Higher median household income: Sunnyvale, CA
Cost of Living Index
Sunnyvale, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · San Francisco, CA: 225.8 (U.S. = 100)
Sunnyvale, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than San Francisco, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Sunnyvale, CA: $2,912/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Francisco, CA: $2,298/mo
Median rent in Sunnyvale, CA is $614/mo higher than in San Francisco, CA.
Median Home Price
Sunnyvale, CA: $1,816,600 · San Francisco, CA: $1,380,500
Median home price in Sunnyvale, CA is $436,100 higher than in San Francisco, CA.
Median Household Income
Sunnyvale, CA: $181,862 · San Francisco, CA: $141,446
Sunnyvale, CA has a higher median household income than San Francisco, CA by $40,416.
Sunnyvale, CA overview · San Francisco, CA overview · Popular comparisons