City comparison
San Francisco, CA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 4.0% higher than in Seattle, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Seattle, WA would need about $104,000 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 $2,146 in Seattle, WA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 33% in Seattle, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.1% moving from San Francisco, CA to Seattle, WA ($133,060 → $119,630), while prices change by −3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.5% in real buying power.
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 115.6 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,125 in Seattle | $104,031 in San Francisco |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,977/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 48% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $74,260 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Francisco | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 194.7 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 108.5 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 172.6 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 106.2 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 115.6 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Francisco, CA → Seattle, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
70 Strong offer
Seattle, WA → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
22 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Francisco, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from San Francisco, CA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA | Real change, San Francisco → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $69,373 | −6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $83,935 | −6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $100,602 | −6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $119,630 | −6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $141,367 | −6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in San Francisco dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $102,920 | $107,069 (+5.1%) |
| Software Developers | $186,640 | $167,280 | $174,023 (−6.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $110,730 | $99,370 | $103,376 (−6.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $186,610 | $128,260 | $133,430 (−28.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.