✦ Compare
San Francisco vs
Washington
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
San Francisco, CA vs Washington, DC at a glance — Washington, DC is 8% cheaper than San Francisco, CA overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $2,300/mo versus $3,300/mo. The top national income-tax rate is 37%.
To keep the same standard of living in Washington, DC, you'd need
$68,810 / year
Washington, DC is 8% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Washington, DC vs San Francisco, CA)
- Housing-17%
- Food & groceries-3%
- Transport+3%
- Utilities-1%
- Healthcare-5%
- Goods & services-1%
Median 1-bed rent
$3,300 /mo
San Francisco, CA overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$2,300 /mo
Washington, DC overview →
◎ How San Francisco, CA and Washington, DC compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 118 | 108 |
| Housing | 174 | 144 |
| Food | 94 | 91 |
| Transport | 92 | 95 |
| Utilities | 87 | 86 |
| Healthcare | 92 | 87 |
| Goods & services | 98 | 97 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $3,300/mo | $2,300/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $2,500/mo | $1,800/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $6,500/mo | $4,500/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $14,000 | $8,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $846 | $922 |
| Inexpensive meal | $22 | $20 |
| Monthly transit pass | $98 | $100 |
| 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 | 150 | 80 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 | UTC-5 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 70 | 67 |
| Safety index | 45 | 50 |
| Healthcare index | 80 | 80 |
| Pollution index | 40 | 40 |
| Internet speed | 220 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 88 | 77 |
| Public transport | 80 | 72 |
| Family-friendly | 55 | 62 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $500/mo | $470/mo |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr✓ | 79 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +11 °C | +2 °C |
| July avg | +17 °C | +27 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 256 | 203 |
| Rainfall / year | 600 mm | 1,000 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (US DOL (federal), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: San Francisco vs Washington — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to San Francisco
Tech's global capital — the highest salaries in the US, and rents to match, wrapped in fog and hills.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ 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
Good to know before you move to Washington
The US capital — stable government and consulting jobs, a strong transit system and grand monuments.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ USD)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC-5
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 50/100
- Climate
- ❄ 2°C · ☀ 27°C · 203 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Dupont Circle · Georgetown · Shaw
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
Plan your move to Washington
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 San Francisco to Washington: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from San Francisco to Washington, your cost of living will be roughly 8% cheaper. Washington’s cost-of-living index is 108 versus 118 for San Francisco (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is San Francisco cheaper than Washington?
Washington is about 8% cheaper than San Francisco overall — its cost-of-living index is 108 versus 118 for San Francisco.
Which is more expensive, San Francisco or Washington?
San Francisco is more expensive than Washington. Its cost-of-living index is 118 vs 108 (US = 100) — about 9% higher.
Is rent cheaper in San Francisco or Washington?
Rent is cheaper in Washington — about $2,300/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $3,300 in San Francisco.
How much do you need to earn in Washington to live like in San Francisco?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in San Francisco is worth about $68,810 in Washington. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, San Francisco or Washington?
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 San Francisco
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.