Popular cities
San Francisco vs Seattle cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ San Francisco
๐บ๐ธ Seattle
At a glance
- Where Seattle is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (36%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ San Francisco 1 vs Seattle 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | San Francisco | Seattle | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 25$25 | $ 22$22 | Seattle โ12% |
| Street food1 item | $ 15$15 | $ 14$14 | Seattle โ7% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 55$55 | $ 50$50 | Seattle โ9% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6.5$6.5 | $ 6$6 | Seattle โ8% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 9$9 | $ 8$8 | Seattle โ11% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 17$17 | $ 16$16 | Seattle โ6% |
| Bottled water | $ 2.5$2.5 | $ 2.3$2.3 | Seattle โ8% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 3$3 | $ 2.8$2.8 | Seattle โ7% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 16$16 | $ 16$16 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 11$11 | $ 11$11 | similar |
| Transitone ride | $ 2.85$2.85 | $ 3$3 | San Francisco โ5% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 45$45 | $ 40$40 | Seattle โ11% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 200$200 | $ 180$180 | Seattle โ10% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 3,300$3,300 | $ 2,100$2,100 | Seattle โ36% |
| Laundry | $ 5$5 | $ 4.5$4.5 | Seattle โ10% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 25$25 | $ 25$25 | similar |
| Haircutcut | $ 38$38 | $ 35$35 | Seattle โ8% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 110$110 | $ 100$100 | Seattle โ9% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 70$70 | $ 75$75 | San Francisco โ7% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 35$35 | $ 38$38 | San Francisco โ8% |
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, San Francisco or Seattle?
Seattle is 19% cheaper than San Francisco. Daily budget $391 vs $355; a month $10,400 vs $7,424.
Which is easier to travel, San Francisco or Seattle?
About the same: San Francisco 1.6/5, Seattle 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between San Francisco and Seattle?
With a short-term studio and living costs, San Francisco is about $10,400 and Seattle about $7,424 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.