Popular cities
New York vs San Francisco cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ New York
๐บ๐ธ San Francisco
At a glance
- Where San Francisco is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (34%โ), Taxi (30%โ), Hotel night (26%โ)
- Where New York is clearly cheaper: Street food (33%โ), Local meal (20%โ), Bottled water (20%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ New York 2 vs San Francisco 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | New York | San Francisco | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 20$20 | $ 25$25 | New York โ20% |
| Street food1 item | $ 10$10 | $ 15$15 | New York โ33% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 55$55 | $ 55$55 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6$6 | $ 6.5$6.5 | New York โ8% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 9$9 | $ 9$9 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 19$19 | $ 17$17 | San Francisco โ11% |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | $ 2.5$2.5 | New York โ20% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 3$3 | $ 3$3 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 23$23 | $ 16$16 | San Francisco โ30% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 14$14 | $ 11$11 | San Francisco โ21% |
| Transitone ride | $ 3$3 | $ 2.85$2.85 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 68$68 | $ 45$45 | San Francisco โ34% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 270$270 | $ 200$200 | San Francisco โ26% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 3,300$3,300 | $ 3,300$3,300 | similar |
| Laundry | $ 4.5$4.5 | $ 5$5 | New York โ10% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | $ 25$25 | San Francisco โ17% |
| Haircutcut | $ 42$42 | $ 38$38 | San Francisco โ10% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 100$100 | $ 110$110 | New York โ9% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 80$80 | $ 70$70 | San Francisco โ12% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 30$30 | $ 35$35 | New York โ14% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, New York or San Francisco?
San Francisco is 8% cheaper than New York. Daily budget $467 vs $391; a month $10,297 vs $10,400.
Which is easier to travel, New York or San Francisco?
About the same: New York 1.6/5, San Francisco 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between New York and San Francisco?
With a short-term studio and living costs, New York is about $10,297 and San Francisco about $10,400 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.