City comparison
New York, NY vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 2.7% higher than in New York, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in New York, NY would need about $102,700 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $2,655 in New York, NY. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 43% in New York, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.1% moving from New York, NY to San Francisco, CA ($125,431 → $133,060), while prices change by +2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.3% in real buying power.
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New York, NY | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 112.6 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,710 in San Francisco | $97,362 in New York |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,655/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 43% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,430 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New York | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.6 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 127.0 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 105.8 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 112.6 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New York, NY → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
26 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → New York, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
New York, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from New York, NY to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA | Real change, New York → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $77,161 | +3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $93,358 | +3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $111,896 | +3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $133,060 | +3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $157,236 | +3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in New York dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $96,900 | $101,860 | $99,173 (+2.3%) |
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $186,640 | $181,716 (+8.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $110,730 | $107,809 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $186,610 | $181,687 (+51.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.