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 | Palmdale | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,625/mo | $2,316/mo | 29.8% lower in A |
| Median home value | $397,500 | $1,348,700 | 70.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $78,414 | $136,689 | 42.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 106.0 | 58.2 | 82.0% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 128.1 | 62.4 | 105.4% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 108.4 | 59.8 | 81.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 109.1 | 38.9 | 180.3% 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 Palmdale, you'd need $92,748 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Francisco, CA is about 7.3% cheaper overall than Palmdale, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 30% lower in Palmdale than in San Francisco. If you earn $80,000 in Palmdale, you'd need about $74,199 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.