Cost of Living in San Francisco, CA

Population 815,201 · California

Compare with:

Median Rent

Studio

$1,560

1 Bedroom

$2,425

2 Bedroom

$2,982

3 Bedroom

$3,269

Buying a Home

Median Home Value

$1,380,500

Income

Median Household Income

$141,446

Metro Median Wage (annual)

$74,260

Household income: Census ACS, city. Metro median wage: BLS OEWS, all occupations, 2025 (metro area).

The People & Lifestyle

Median Age

39.7 yrs

Homeownership

38.5%

Bachelor's+ (25+)

60.1%

Avg Commute

31.2 min

Crime

Violent Crime (per 100k/yr)

596.5

Property Crime (per 100k/yr)

3,962.2

FBI Crime Data Explorer, San Francisco Police Department (2024). Offenses per 100,000 residents per year. Agency reporting practices vary, so cross-city comparisons are approximate.

Climate

Avg Annual Temperature

57.3°F

Annual Precipitation

23.6 in

Gas

Regular Gasoline (San Francisco)

$6.05/gal

EIA weekly retail average, week of 2026-05-25.

Public Transit

Base Fare (SF Muni)

$2.50

Adult base one-way fare on the primary agency (2026).

Utilities

Electricity

33.4¢/kWh

Natural Gas

$20.72/MCF

Residential, state-level averages (EIA, 2026-03-01). MCF = 1,000 cubic feet.

Groceries

Milk (gal)

$4.37

Bread (lb)

$2.10

Eggs (doz)

$2.25

Ground Beef (lb)

$7.23

Chicken (lb)

$2.14

Bananas (lb)

$0.74

Average prices, West (BLS, 2026-04-01). Regional where available, otherwise U.S. average.

State Taxes (CA)

State Sales Tax

7.25%

State Income Tax (top rate)

Up to 13.30%

State-level rates. Local sales taxes may add more. Income tax shown is the top marginal rate; most filers pay less.

Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year (rent, income, home value, demographics); NOAA Climate Normals 1981-2010 (climate); EIA (gas, utilities); BLS Average Price Data (groceries) & OEWS (metro wage); transit agencies (fares); FBI Crime Data Explorer (crime); Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).