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 | Oakland | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,849/mo | $2,316/mo | 20.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $883,800 | $1,348,700 | 34.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $94,389 | $136,689 | 30.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 58.2 | 58.2 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 62.4 | 62.4 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 59.8 | 59.8 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 38.9 | 38.9 | ≈ 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 Oakland, you'd need $125,257 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Oakland, CA is about 20.2% cheaper overall than San Francisco, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 20% lower in Oakland than in San Francisco. If you earn $80,000 in Oakland, you'd need about $100,206 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.