Cost of living compare
San Francisco vs Seattle cost of living
San Francisco vs Seattle cost of living, compared metric by metric: BEA regional price parity, HUD rent, USDA food, energy, and state and local taxes. Each row keeps its own source grain and vintage — there is no single blended “cost of living score,” because these measures are published at different geographic grains.
24% moreincome is needed for a family of four (2 adults, 2 children) to break even in San Francisco than in Seattle
San Francisco needs $216,454/yr vs $175,048/yr in Seattle
CEX 2024 · FMR FY2026 · USDA 2025 · RPP 2024 · TY2025 · NDCP 2022 (CPI-inflated to 2026-M04)
How much does a family of four need in San Francisco vs Seattle?
A family of four needs about $216,454 a year in San Francisco and $175,048 a year in Seattle to break even. The stacked bars show where each monthly budget goes; the table below gives the exact split and the difference.
| Component | San Francisco | Seattle | San Francisco − Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $4,604 | $4,890 | −$286 |
| Childcare | $4,869 | $3,612 | +$1,257 |
| Taxes | $4,930 | $2,561 | +$2,369 |
| Food | $1,257 | $1,209 | +$48 |
| Transportation | $1,204 | $1,154 | +$50 |
| Everything else | $1,174 | $1,162 | +$12 |
| Total per month | $18,038 | $14,587 | +$3,451 |
Household Budget Benchmark, family of four (2 adults, 2 children), 3-bedroom. Housing uses HUD Fair Market Rent (ZIP SAFMR where available); other rows are federal series adjusted by state-grain BEA price parities. CEX 2024 · FMR FY2026 · USDA 2025 · RPP 2024 · TY2025 · NDCP 2022 (CPI-inflated to 2026-M04).
Which city has higher prices, San Francisco or Seattle?
BEA Regional Price Parities put overall prices at 115.6 in San Francisco and 111.1 in Seattle, where the U.S. average is 100. RPP is a regional index shown at each city’s BEA grain, not a city-precise price tag.
| RPP component | San Francisco | Seattle | San Francisco − Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 115.6 | 111.1 | +4.5 |
| Goods | 108.5 | 104.0 | +4.5 |
| Rents | 194.7 | 151.3 | +43.4 |
| Utilities | 172.6 | 92.8 | +79.8 |
| Other services | 106.2 | 106.8 | −0.6 |
San Francisco: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area · reference year 2024. Seattle: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area · reference year 2024.
How much is rent in San Francisco vs Seattle?
HUD sets the 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent at $3,604 in San Francisco and $2,501 in Seattle for HUD fiscal year 2026.
| Bedrooms | San Francisco | Seattle | San Francisco − Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-BR FMR | $2,977 | $2,146 | +$831 |
| 2-BR FMR | $3,604 | $2,501 | +$1,103 |
| 3-BR FMR | $4,604 | $3,272 | +$1,332 |
San Francisco: San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Seattle: Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. HUD FY2026 40th-percentile gross rents.
Are taxes higher in San Francisco or Seattle?
Combined state and local sales tax is about 8.85% in California and 9.4% in Washington. These are state and local figures.
| Measure | San Francisco (CA) | Seattle (WA) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined sales tax rate | 8.85% | 9.4% | −0.5 pts |
| Top state income tax rate | 12.3% | None | +12.3 pts |
| State & local taxes per capita | $10,349 | $7,415 | +$2,934 |
Sales & income tax rates: state statutes / DOR schedules, TY2025. Per-capita burden: Census Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances, FY2022. State grain.
Are utilities and gas cheaper in San Francisco or Seattle?
Residential electricity runs about 33.2¢/kWh in California and 14.1¢/kWh in Washington. Energy prices are state or PADD-region grain, not city-specific.
| Measure | San Francisco (CA) | Seattle (WA) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential electricity | 33.2¢/kWh | 14.1¢/kWh | +19.1 |
| Residential natural gas | 22.45 $/Mcf | 17.32 $/Mcf | +5.13 |
| Retail gasoline | 5.75 $/gal | 5.75 $/gal | 0 |
Electricity & natural gas: EIA state-grain residential prices. Gasoline: EIA PADD 5 (West Coast) vs PADD 5 (West Coast) (PADD-region grain).
What does groceries cost in San Francisco vs Seattle?
A USDA Low-Cost food plan for a family of four is about $1,088 a month nationally; the plan value is a national figure, while local price differences show up through the RPP-adjusted budget above.
| USDA plan (family of 4, monthly) | San Francisco | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Thrifty plan | $996 | $996 |
| Low-cost plan | $1,088 | $1,088 |
| Moderate plan | $1,341 | $1,341 |
USDA Cost of Food Plans, July 2025. National grain — identical for every city; the family budget applies each state’s RPP for local context.
Go deeper on San Francisco and Seattle
Sources
Every figure above traces to an official federal or state source, shown with its vintage and geographic grain. Cost-of-living measures are not combined into one composite score. See the cost-of-living methodology.