City comparison
Livermore, CA is about 30 miles (50 km) from South San Francisco, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 40 miles, or about 42 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 Livermore, CA to South San Francisco, CA takes about 4 min, covering roughly 30 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.
Livermore has a population of 87,154, vs 65,596 in South San Francisco — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Livermore covers about 27 sq mi vs 9.2 sq mi for South San Francisco.
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 | Livermore | South San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,482/mo | $2,649/mo | 6.7% higher in South San Francisco |
| Median home value | $965,600 | $1,113,000 | 15.3% higher in South San Francisco |
| Median household income | $152,590 | $127,062 | 20.1% higher in Livermore |
| Groceries index | 108.1 | 108.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 168.3 | 168.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 106.1 | 106.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 106.0 | 106.0 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Livermore, you'd need $100,334 in South San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Livermore, CA is about 0.3% cheaper overall than South San Francisco, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Livermore, you'd need about $80,268 in South San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.