✦ Compare
Boston vs
San Francisco
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Boston, MA vs San Francisco, CA at a glance — San Francisco, CA is 6% more expensive than Boston, MA overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $3,300/mo versus $3,000/mo. The top national income-tax rate is 37%.
To keep the same standard of living in San Francisco, CA, you'd need
$79,561 / year
San Francisco, CA is 6% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (San Francisco, CA vs Boston, MA)
- Housing+14%
- Food & groceries+4%
- Transport+1%
- Utilities-8%
- Healthcare-6%
- Goods & services+2%
Median 1-bed rent
$3,000 /mo
Boston, MA overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$3,300 /mo
San Francisco, CA overview →
◎ How Boston, MA and San Francisco, CA compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 111 | 118 |
| Housing | 152 | 174 |
| Food | 90 | 94 |
| Transport | 91 | 92 |
| Utilities | 95 | 87 |
| Healthcare | 98 | 92 |
| Goods & services | 96 | 98 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $3,000/mo | $3,300/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $2,300/mo | $2,500/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $5,500/mo | $6,500/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $11,000 | $14,000 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $897 | $846 |
| Inexpensive meal | $22 | $22 |
| Monthly transit pass | $90 | $98 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 37% | 37% |
| VAT / sales tax | 0% | 0% |
| Social security (employee) | 7.7% | 7.7% |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 21% |
| Capital gains | 20% | 20% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $4,300/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,257/mo✓ | $1,257/mo✓ |
| GDP per capita | $90,027✓ | $90,027✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Native | Native |
| Coworking spaces | 80 | 150 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 | UTC-8 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 73 | 70 |
| Safety index | 62 | 45 |
| Healthcare index | 85 | 80 |
| Pollution index | 35 | 40 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 220 Mbps |
| Walkability | 83 | 88 |
| Public transport | 75 | 80 |
| Family-friendly | 65 | 55 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $460/mo | $500/mo |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr✓ | 79 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | -1 °C | +11 °C |
| July avg | +23 °C | +17 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 200 | 256 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,100 mm | 600 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (US DOL (federal), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Boston vs San Francisco — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Boston
Historic, walkable and a global university and biotech hub — winters are long and rents are steep.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ USD)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC-5
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 62/100
- Climate
- ❄ -1°C · ☀ 23°C · 200 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Back Bay · Cambridge · South End
Good to know before you move to San Francisco
Tech's global capital — the highest salaries in the US, and rents to match, wrapped in fog and hills.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ USD)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC-8
- Internet
- 220 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 45/100
- Climate
- ❄ 11°C · ☀ 17°C · 256 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Mission · SoMa · Hayes Valley
Plan your move to Boston
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Parking & carWay.com
Sponsored
Plan your move to San Francisco
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Parking & carWay.com
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Boston to San Francisco: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Boston to San Francisco, your cost of living will be roughly 6% more expensive. San Francisco’s cost-of-living index is 118 versus 111 for Boston (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Boston cheaper than San Francisco?
San Francisco is about 6% more expensive than Boston overall — its cost-of-living index is 118 versus 111 for Boston.
Which is more expensive, Boston or San Francisco?
San Francisco is more expensive than Boston. Its cost-of-living index is 118 vs 111 (US = 100) — about 6% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Boston or San Francisco?
Rent is cheaper in Boston — about $3,000/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $3,300 in San Francisco.
How much do you need to earn in San Francisco to live like in Boston?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Boston is worth about $79,561 in San Francisco. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Boston or San Francisco?
Both cities are in the same country, so national income tax (37%) and VAT are identical; only local cost of living differs.
◷ More comparisons from Boston
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.