same $100k income, fresh start from Los Angeles

change
San Francisco, CA cityscape

if you left los angeles

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

$247

more expensive each month than Los Angeles

San Francisco runs a little pricier than Los Angeles. The case has to be about something other than rent.
landable, recorded on the san francisco entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$3,146/mo

9% more expensive than Los Angeles(vs $2,899/mo)

02state income tax

9.3%

vs 9.3% in Los Angeles

03after rent

$4,412/mo

$247 less than Los Angeles

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

04a house here

$1239k

20% more expensive than Los Angeles

vs $1029k in Los Angeles

05metro size

4.6M

vs 12.8M in Los Angeles

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

312

pleasant days a year, in san francisco.

Los Angeles barely cracks 283 pleasant ones.

Things to do run about even with Los Angeles.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

83/100

24% higher than Los Angeles

vs 67/100 in Los Angeles

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

·walk score®

99/100

3% higher than Los Angeles

vs 96/100 in Los Angeles

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

111

26% fewer than Los Angeles

vs 150 nonstops in Los Angeles

04 · see also

same energy as san francisco, different zip code:

see also

san diego

$256/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

honolulu

$162/mo cheaper

turn the page

see also

miami

$1,256/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare san francisco with:

San DiegoHonoluluMiami