City comparison
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 | Irvine | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,749/mo | $2,316/mo | 18.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,025,700 | $1,348,700 | 23.9% lower in A |
| Median household income | $122,948 | $136,689 | 10.1% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 58.2 | 78.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 62.4 | 100.5% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 59.8 | 74.9% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 38.9 | 167.5% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Irvine, you'd need $84,248 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Francisco, CA is about 15.8% cheaper overall than Irvine, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 16% lower in San Francisco than in Irvine. If you earn $80,000 in Irvine, you'd need about $67,399 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.