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 | Salinas | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,795/mo | $2,316/mo | 22.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $573,600 | $1,348,700 | 57.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $84,250 | $136,689 | 38.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 107.5 | 58.2 | 84.7% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 130.7 | 62.4 | 109.5% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 111.7 | 59.8 | 86.7% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 113.5 | 38.9 | 191.7% 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 Salinas, you'd need $87,325 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Francisco, CA is about 12.7% cheaper overall than Salinas, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 22% lower in Salinas than in San Francisco. If you earn $80,000 in Salinas, you'd need about $69,860 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.