$100k salary, packing up from Columbia

change
San Francisco, CA cityscape

instead of columbia

San Francisco

ca · metro 4.6M

photo: Andrew Whitmore / unsplash

a dispatch from

san francisco

CA

37.77°N

122.42°W

San Francisco is hills, fog, Mission burritos the size of forearms, and pastel Victorians stacked like dominoes. Karl the Fog has his own Instagram, the cable cars are still mechanically pulled by cables running under the street, and the Pacific shows up at the end of every west-bound avenue. The food is wildly good, the views are theatrical, and yes, you'll get cardio just walking to the corner store.

metro4.6M

in our guides

#1

of 10

Most walkable cities in America

read the guide
#1

of 10

Best cities for live music and arts

read the guide
#1

of 10

Best cities for health and wellness

read the guide
#4

of 10

Most livable cities in America

read the guide
#4

of 10

Best places to move in 2026

read the guide
#1

of 10

Best cities for parks and green space

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities for work-life balance

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities to escape the heat

read the guide
#8

of 10

Best cities for a $100k salary

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities for outdoor athletes

read the guide
#4

of 10

Best cities with year-round outdoor weather

read the guide
#2

of 10

Best cities for cyclists

read the guide
#1

of 10

Best cities to live in California

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities for foodies

read the guide
#1

of 10

Best cities for dog owners

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities with mild winters

read the guide

01 · the verdict

the verdict

$1,829

the monthly premium over Columbia

San Francisco doesn't pretend to be affordable. Move here for what San Francisco is, not for what it leaves on your monthly ledger.
landable, recorded on the san francisco entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$3,146/mo

103% more expensive than Columbia(vs $1,551/mo)

02state income tax

9.3%

$233/mo more in state tax than Columbia

vs 6.5% in Columbia

03after rent

$4,412/mo

$1,829 less than Columbia

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$1239k

386% more expensive than Columbia

vs $255k in Columbia

05metro size

4.6M

vs 857k in Columbia

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

312

pleasant days a year, in san francisco.

Columbia barely cracks 189 pleasant ones.

1258% more happening than in Columbia.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

83/100

51% higher than Columbia

vs 55/100 in Columbia

Closest outdoor draw: Golden Gate National Recreation Area, 1.5 mi.

·walk score®

99/100

16% higher than Columbia

vs 85/100 in Columbia

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

111

1010% more than Columbia

vs 10 nonstops in Columbia

04 · see also

neighbors of san francisco on the map of tradeoffs:

see also

san diego

$256/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

honolulu

$162/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

los angeles

$247/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare san francisco with:

San DiegoHonoluluLos Angeles