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New York vs San Francisco: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
New York is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 3% lower than in San Francisco, and housing runs 31% lower. San Francisco pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $74,500 against $61,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in San Francisco ($64,000 against $54,500 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: New York runs 3% lower than San Francisco overall, and housing runs 24% lower.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in San Francisco, you need about $97,500 in New York. To keep $100,000 from New York, you need about $102,500 in San Francisco.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $61,500 in New York, $74,500 in San Francisco.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $168,000 in New York, $205,000 in San Francisco.
- Open postings in our data: 12,642 in New York from 1,485 employers, 17,941 in San Francisco from 1,504 employers.
- Unemployment: 4.7% in New York, 4.6% in San Francisco (BLS).
New York and San Francisco side by side
| Measure | New York | San Francisco | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 112.6 | 115.6 | New York |
| Housing price level | 148.6 | 194.7 | New York |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $61,500 | $74,500 | San Francisco |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $54,500 | $64,000 | San Francisco |
| Median pay in open postings | $168,000 | $205,000 | San Francisco |
| Postings that list pay | 65.6% | 73.7% | San Francisco |
| Open postings in our data | 12,642 | 17,941 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 1,485 | 1,504 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 4.7% | 4.6% | San Francisco |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 41.4% | 47% | New York |
| Median days a posting has been open | 45 | 56 | New York |
| Entry-level share of postings | 9.5% | 6.2% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 16.2% | 21.5% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | -15% | -28.6% | New York |
"Edge" shows which area looks better on that measure (lower prices, higher pay, lower unemployment, fewer stale postings); counts and shares have no edge. Within 2% counts as about the same.
Cost of living
New York prices sit 112.6 against a US average of 100 and San Francisco at 115.6. The biggest difference is housing: 148.6 in New York against 194.7 in San Francisco. Utilities are 26% lower in New York. The index covers goods and services including rent and home costs, so it measures what a typical household spends, not what your own budget looks like.
| Price level (US = 100) | New York | San Francisco | New York vs San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 112.6 | 115.6 | 3% lower |
| Housing | 148.6 | 194.7 | 24% lower |
| Goods | 110.3 | 108.5 | 2% higher |
| Utilities | 127 | 172.6 | 26% lower |
| Other services | 105.8 | 106.2 | about the same |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from San Francisco to New York; the right half moves it the other way. "If only housing moved" uses the housing price level alone, for someone whose biggest cost is rent or a mortgage.
| Salary in San Francisco | Matching salary in New York | If only housing moved | Salary in New York | Matching salary in San Francisco | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $48,500 | $38,000 | $50,000 | $51,500 | $65,500 |
| $75,000 | $73,000 | $57,000 | $75,000 | $77,000 | $98,500 |
| $100,000 | $97,500 | $76,500 | $100,000 | $102,500 | $131,000 |
| $125,000 | $121,500 | $95,500 | $125,000 | $128,500 | $164,000 |
| $150,000 | $146,000 | $114,500 | $150,000 | $154,000 | $196,500 |
| $200,000 | $194,500 | $152,500 | $200,000 | $205,500 | $262,000 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $46.81 an hour in New York for someone earning $100,000 in San Francisco.
Pay for the same job
Across the 59 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in New York for 4 and higher in San Francisco for 55. After local prices are counted, New York comes out ahead in 9 and San Francisco in 50. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is registered nurses: $119,700 in New York against $186,600 in San Francisco.
| Occupation (15 largest) | New York median | San Francisco median | New York adjusted for prices | San Francisco adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $39,700 | $36,000 | $35,300 | $31,100 |
| Retail Salespersons | $38,300 | $43,900 | $34,000 | $37,900 |
| Registered Nurses | $119,700 | $186,600 | $106,400 | $161,400 |
| General and Operations Managers | $157,000 | $150,000 | $139,500 | $129,700 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $35,400 | $43,900 | $31,500 | $37,900 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $42,800 | $44,200 | $38,100 | $38,200 |
| Cashiers | $36,000 | $41,300 | $31,900 | $35,700 |
| Software Developers | $166,800 | $186,600 | $148,200 | $161,400 |
| Office Clerks, General | $47,700 | $52,000 | $42,300 | $45,000 |
| Security Guards | $44,000 | $45,700 | $39,100 | $39,600 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $47,600 | $38,900 | $42,300 | $33,600 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $38,600 | $45,100 | $34,300 | $39,000 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $43,300 | $48,400 | $38,500 | $41,900 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | $38,900 | $49,400 | $34,500 | $42,700 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $49,600 | $57,800 | $44,100 | $50,000 |
Median annual wage for everyone in the occupation, all employers, May 2025 (BLS). "Adjusted" divides the wage by the area's price level (BEA, US = 100), so dollars are comparable.
Pay employers are offering right now
The wages above are what people earn in jobs they already hold. Open postings show what employers are offering today. In the job families where both areas have at least 15 postings that list pay, the median listed salary is higher in New York for 0 of 12 and higher in San Francisco for 12. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | New York median listed pay | Postings | San Francisco median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software developers | $211,500 | 707 | $231,000 | 2016 |
| Sales | $150,000 | 845 | $180,000 | 869 |
| Marketing | $160,000 | 533 | $190,000 | 722 |
| Product and design | $190,000 | 437 | $211,500 | 773 |
| Operations and logistics | $150,000 | 379 | $187,500 | 526 |
| Software engineering | $205,000 | 220 | $220,000 | 555 |
| Security and IT | $203,500 | 185 | $235,000 | 523 |
| Legal and compliance | $185,000 | 292 | $226,500 | 330 |
| Finance and accounting | $160,000 | 233 | $191,000 | 383 |
| People and recruiting | $162,500 | 188 | $170,000 | 309 |
| Customer support and success | $122,500 | 153 | $170,500 | 205 |
| Data and analytics | $150,000 | 191 | $190,000 | 98 |
Only postings that list a salary are counted. Median of the middle of each listed range. Job families need at least 15 such postings in both areas to appear.
Who is hiring
Software & Technology is the largest hiring industry in both areas. The mix matters because pay and hiring conditions differ a lot by industry.
- Largest posters in New York: Ramp (256), CoreWeave (155), DoorDash USA (151), Datadog (140), Profound (140).
- Largest posters in San Francisco: OpenAI (1,124), Anthropic (473), Crusoe (292), Flyzipline (264), DoorDash USA (234).
Counts are open postings on each employer's own career page in our data; one big employer can shape a local market.
The job market
- Postings have been open a median of 45 days in New York and 56 in San Francisco; 41.4% and 47% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 9.5% of postings in New York and 6.2% in San Francisco; senior and above are 53.6% and 54.3%.
- Fully remote roles are 16.2% of postings in New York and 21.5% in San Francisco.
- Indeed's postings index sits 15% below its February 2020 level in New York and 28.6% below in San Francisco.
- 65.6% of postings in New York list pay, against 73.7% in San Francisco.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (New York) stretches it further: $100,000 in San Francisco has the buying power of about $97,500 in New York.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, San Francisco comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($64,000 against $54,500).
- Software developers: median listed pay is $211,500 in New York and $231,000 in San Francisco, which is $188,000 and $199,500 in average-US dollars.
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (148.6 vs 194.7) matters more than the overall index.
No place is better for everyone. Taxes, commute, schools, climate and your own spending are not in these numbers.
Questions
Is it cheaper to live in New York or San Francisco?
New York is cheaper. Overall prices run 3% lower than in San Francisco, and housing runs 31% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in New York to match $100,000 in San Francisco?
About $97,500 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (112.6 in New York, 115.6 in San Francisco). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, New York or San Francisco?
San Francisco has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $74,500 against $61,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, San Francisco has the higher paycheck power: $64,000 against $54,500 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, San Francisco has more: 17,941 against 12,642. This is a sample of employer postings, not a census of every job.
Where do these numbers come from?
Prices come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, wages and unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and postings from employers' own career pages, collected October 2026. Every figure on this page is in a table or chart above.
More on these places
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: all the data
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: all the data
- Compare them in the interactive tool
- Cost-of-living ranking · Paycheck power ranking
Other comparisons
New York vs Los AngelesNew York vs ChicagoNew York vs DallasNew York vs HoustonNew York vs WashingtonNew York vs PhiladelphiaNew York vs AtlantaNew York vs MiamiNew York vs BostonNew York vs Phoenix
Updated October 2026. Prices only: taxes and personal spending are not included. Price levels: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024. Wages and unemployment: Bureau of Labor Statistics (wages May 2025). Postings: employers' own career pages, October 2026. Methodology