Living in San Francisco: cost of living, rent and salary
Updated 3 October 2026
In San Francisco, a one-bedroom home costs about $3,060 (≈ €2,690) a month. To keep the lifestyle of someone living in London, you need about $4,260 (≈ €3,750) net a month. Here is the rent by type of home, the month’s budget line by line, and the sources.
Work out my budget in San Francisco
Example: the same life, elsewhere
A single person living in London in a one-bedroom home, with the average spending of a similar household, spends about £3,350 a month. To keep the same life in San Francisco, they would need about $4,260 (≈ €3,750) net a month locally (−5%), i.e. 1.7 times the California minimum wage.
For a couple with two children in a two-bedroom home (state school), it would take about $6,930 (≈ €6,100) net a month in San Francisco, i.e. 2.7 times the California minimum wage.
Calculated on 3 October 2026 with the official averages of London and the destination’s prices. Yours depends on your city, home and habits: the calculator works it out in a few minutes, no sign-up.
Rent in San Francisco
A one-bedroom home in San Francisco costs about 113% more than the median of the 12 other cities tracked in the country.
| Type of home | Outside sought-after areas | Outside sought-after areas, in euros |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,000 | €1,760 |
| 1 bedroom | $3,060 | €2,690 |
| 2 bedrooms | $3,930 | €3,460 |
| 3-bedroom house | $4,400 | €3,870 |
Monthly rent in USD, outside the most sought-after areas. Studio 28 m², 1 bedroom 45 m², 2 bedrooms 65 m², house 95 m² where rent is known per m². U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024: median rent by number of bedrooms in each city, adjusted to what tenants who moved in since 2023 pay, excluding utilities, and updated with the BLS rent index (August 2026).
A month’s budget in San Francisco, line by line
For a single person renting a one-bedroom home and keeping the average habits of a household in London, here is what each line would cost in San Francisco.
| Item | London | San Francisco | San Francisco (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | £2,550 | £2,300 | $3,050 |
| Housing tax | £50 | £0 | $0 |
| Electricity, water, gas | £100 | £100 | $130 |
| Groceries | £200 | £210 | $280 |
| Restaurants and outings | £110 | £110 | $150 |
| Transport | £100 | £40 | $60 |
| Health | £40 | £110 | $150 |
| Phone and internet | £50 | £90 | $120 |
| Sport | £60 | £50 | $70 |
| Clothes | £60 | £60 | $80 |
| Hairdresser and beauty | £40 | £40 | $50 |
| Trips back to London | £0 | £80 | $100 |
| Total per month | £3,350 | £3,200 | $4,250 |
Estimate: lines without an answer take the official average of the departure city, then the destination’s prices. The calculator starts from your real amounts.
Visa, healthcare, school, electricity
These rules are the same across the country: find them on the page Living in the United States.
Frequently asked questions
What salary do you need to live in San Francisco?
For a single person keeping the same life as in London: about $4,260 (≈ €3,750) net a month, i.e. 1.7 times the California minimum wage.
How much is rent in San Francisco?
About $3,060 (≈ €2,690) a month for a one-bedroom home and $3,930 for a two-bedroom home, according to U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024.
Is it expensive to live in San Francisco?
In London, a single person spends about £3,350 a month; with the same life in San Francisco, it would be about £3,200 (−5%).
Work out my budget in San Francisco