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 | Lancaster | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,576/mo | $2,316/mo | 32.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $368,800 | $1,348,700 | 72.7% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,367 | $136,689 | 47.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 105.5 | 58.2 | 81.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 127.3 | 62.4 | 104.2% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 107.4 | 59.8 | 79.6% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 107.8 | 38.9 | 177.1% 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 Lancaster, you'd need $94,434 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Francisco, CA is about 5.6% cheaper overall than Lancaster, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 32% lower in Lancaster than in San Francisco. If you earn $80,000 in Lancaster, you'd need about $75,548 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.