City comparison
Aliso Viejo, CA is about 425 miles (650 km) from San Francisco, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 500 miles, or about 8 h 30 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Aliso Viejo, CA to San Francisco, CA takes about 50 min, covering roughly 425 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
San Francisco has a population of 851,036, vs 51,896 in Aliso Viejo — about 16.4× larger by population. By land area, San Francisco covers about 47 sq mi vs 6.9 sq mi for Aliso Viejo.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Aliso Viejo | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,625/mo | $2,316/mo | 13.3% higher in Aliso Viejo |
| Median home value | $818,500 | $1,348,700 | 64.8% higher in San Francisco |
| Median household income | $131,708 | $136,689 | 3.8% higher in San Francisco |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 103.9 | 2.4% higher in Aliso Viejo |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 162.7 | 4.6% higher in San Francisco |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 102.0 | 2.3% higher in Aliso Viejo |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 100.2 | 4.2% higher in Aliso Viejo |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Aliso Viejo, you'd need $105,554 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Aliso Viejo, CA is about 5.3% cheaper overall than San Francisco, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 11% higher in San Francisco than in Aliso Viejo. If you earn $80,000 in Aliso Viejo, you'd need about $84,443 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.