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 | Modesto | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,497/mo | $2,316/mo | 35.4% lower in A |
| Median home value | $381,800 | $1,348,700 | 71.7% lower in A |
| Median household income | $73,375 | $136,689 | 46.3% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.8 | 58.2 | 79.9% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 126.2 | 62.4 | 102.3% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 105.9 | 59.8 | 77.0% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 105.8 | 38.9 | 171.8% 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 Modesto, you'd need $97,293 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Francisco, CA is about 2.7% cheaper overall than Modesto, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 35% lower in Modesto than in San Francisco. If you earn $80,000 in Modesto, you'd need about $77,834 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.