Route comparison
San Francisco, CA vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living
Compare the cost of living between San Francisco, CA and Seattle, WA. See the equivalent salary and median rent powered by BLS Regional Price Parities.
Latest official changes
Data updates affecting this route
These rows are official-source planning signals with data period and last-checked dates. They do not automatically update the current RPP/FMR values on this page until the source dataset is flipped.
San Francisco, CA
CA
- Overall RPP (US=100)
- 117.9
- Housing RPP
- 206.4
- Goods RPP
- 114.5
- 2-BR median rent
- $3,359/mo
California income tax 1%-13.3% (highest in nation). No city income tax.
Seattle, WA
WA
- Overall RPP (US=100)
- 113.7
- Housing RPP
- 154.8
- Goods RPP
- 116.2
- 2-BR median rent
- $2,645/mo
Washington has no state income tax. Sales tax 6.5%+local up to 10.5%.
Equivalent salary
Seattle, WA is cheaper than San Francisco, CA by about 3.6% (RPP 117.9 to 113.7).
$60,000 in San Francisco, CA
-> $57,863
in Seattle, WA
$100,000 in San Francisco, CA
-> $96,438
in Seattle, WA
$150,000 in San Francisco, CA
-> $144,656
in Seattle, WA
This tool provides estimates only. Equivalent-salary figures are derived from BLS Regional Price Parities (RPP) and HUD Fair Market Rents — they are averages, not guarantees. Actual cost of living varies by neighborhood, lifestyle, and individual circumstances. Not financial advice.
Migration signal: San Francisco, CA vs Seattle, WA
IRS tax-return migration · 2021-2022San Francisco, CA
- Net people
- −61,915
- Net rank
- #62 of 65
- Top origin share
- 14%
- Top destination share
- 8%
Largest source: Santa Clara County, CA. Largest destination: Santa Clara County, CA.
Seattle, WA
- Net people
- −28,174
- Net rank
- #58 of 65
- Top origin share
- 3%
- Top destination share
- 3%
Largest source: Los Angeles County, CA. Largest destination: Thurston County, WA.
Rent delta: Seattle, WA is $714/mo lower for HUD FY2024 2-BR FMR than San Francisco, CA. Housing RPP moves from 206.4 to 154.8.
Migration figures are derived from IRS SOI county-to-county migration data for 2021-2022, mapped to metros via Census CBSA delineation. Small county-to-county flows are IRS-suppressed, so per-metro totals are lower bounds. Source: IRS SOI migration data.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Seattle, WA cheaper or more expensive than San Francisco, CA?
- Seattle, WA (RPP 113.7) is cheaper than San Francisco, CA (RPP 117.9) by about 3.6%.
- What salary do I need in Seattle, WA if I earn $100,000 in San Francisco, CA?
- You would need approximately $96,438 in Seattle, WA to maintain the same purchasing power as $100,000 in San Francisco, CA. Formula: $100,000 x (113.7 / 117.9).
- Which metro had stronger net migration, San Francisco, CA or Seattle, WA?
- For 2021-2022, San Francisco, CA had a net loss of 61,915 people, while Seattle, WA had a net loss of 28,174 people. IRS small-flow suppression means these are lower-bound research signals, not complete population-change totals.