Cost of Living in San Francisco, CA

Both owning and renting come with utility expenses. These costs include basic services such as energy and telecommunications. In San Francisco, energy bills cost around $267.90 per month.

Food is the most important necessity and its cost varies around the country. This section includes the prices of everyday foods such as produce, meat and dairy. A bottle of milk costs about $2.63 in San Francisco, a dozen eggs go for around $3.05 and a pound of potatoes circles around $3.58.

The benchmark for this category is based on the prices of family doctor visits and specialized services such as optometry. In San Francisco, an optometry check-up costs around $141.59, while a dentist appointment is priced $131.84 on average.

Transportation expenses depend on multiple factors, with fuel being the most important. A gallon of gas is priced around $3.59 in San Francisco, while getting your tires balanced will run you about $66.88.

The cost of clothing tells you how much more or less money you need to buy basic items such as jeans, shirts or slacks in a new city. A men's shirt costs around $40.31 here. Meanwhile, a pair of women's slacks will set you back around $46.75.

The cost of entertainment and everyday services is based on common expenses in each category. For a movie ticket in San Francisco, you should budget around $16.30 a month. When it comes to personal services, a haircut usually goes for $23.33, while dry cleaning costs about $15.66.

The cost of living also takes median household income into account, so you can estimate how much more or less you could be earning in a new city by comparing it to the income in your current area. In San Francisco, the median household income is $119,136.