San Francisco vs Sacramento
San Francisco, CA · Sacramento, CA
Sacramento is 41% cheaper than San Francisco overall.
Home Price
San: $1,350,000
Sacramento: $480,000
Monthly Rent
San: $3,498/mo
Sacramento: $1,450/mo
COL Index
San: 214
Sacramento: 126
Median Income
San: $131,000
Sacramento: $78,600
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in San Francisco has the same purchasing power as $58,879 in Sacramento — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in Sacramento cost 64% more (-$870,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.
Renting
Renting in Sacramento saves you $2,048/month — $24,576 per year. Median rent: $3,498/mo in San Francisco vs $1,450/mo in Sacramento.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, San Francisco owners pay roughly $8,505/year in property taxes vs $3,504/year in Sacramento. That's a $5,001 annual difference.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $131,000 in San Francisco and $78,600 in Sacramento. Sacramento residents earn 40% more — but remember to factor in cost of living.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 34 minutes in San Francisco vs 28 minutes in Sacramento. Over a year, that's 3000 extra minutes (50 hours) of commuting in San Francisco.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from San Francisco to Sacramento, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in San Francisco | Equivalent in Sacramento | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $29,439 | -$20,561 |
| $75,000 | $44,159 | -$30,841 |
| $100,000 | $58,879 | -$41,121 |
| $150,000 | $88,318 | -$61,682 |
| $200,000 | $117,757 | -$82,243 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
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Cost of Living
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Property Tax Calculator
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San Francisco Calculators
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Related Comparisons
San Francisco vs Sacramento: Common Questions
Is San Francisco or Sacramento cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, Sacramento is cheaper overall. San Francisco has a COL index of 214 while Sacramento scores 126 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between San Francisco and Sacramento?
The median home price in San Francisco is $1,350,000 vs $480,000 in Sacramento — a difference of $870,000 (64%).
What salary do I need in Sacramento to match my San Francisco income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in San Francisco is equivalent to $58,879 in Sacramento in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
San Francisco has a lower property tax rate (0.63% vs 0.73%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $3,504/year vs $8,505/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.