Cost of living comparison
compared to
San Francisco vs. Denver Cost of Living Summary
San Francisco is 39.7% more expensive than Denver.
- Restaurants
- pay 25.4% more in San Francisco
- Groceries
- pay 33.5% more in San Francisco
- Transportation
- pay 18.0% more in San Francisco
- Housing
- pay 41.5% more in San Francisco
- Childcare
- pay 2.3 times more in San Francisco
- Entertainment and Sports
- pay 24.4% more in San Francisco
- Clothing
- pay 2.2% more in San Francisco
San Francisco vs. Denver Cost Breakdown
If you lived in San Francisco instead of Denver, you would:
pay 25.4% more for restaurants
Denver | San Francisco | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $20.00 | $30.00 | |
| Fast food combo meal McDonalds, or similar | $12.00 | $14.50 | |
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $2.92 | $3.30 | |
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $2.20 | $2.59 | |
Denver vs. San Francisco - Cost of restaurants
pay 33.5% more for groceries
Denver | San Francisco | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread 1 loaf | $4.11 | $5.06 | |
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $7.44 | $11.69 | |
| Milk (1 gallon) | $3.91 | $5.85 | |
| Eggs 1 dozen | $5.37 | $6.26 | |
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $6.32 | $6.63 | |
| Apples (1 lb) | $2.43 | $3.22 | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | $0.89 | $1.31 | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | $2.36 | $2.37 | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $2.57 | $3.23 | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $1.30 | $1.67 | |
| Onions (1 lb) | $1.20 | $1.81 | |
Denver vs. San Francisco - Cost of groceries
pay 18.0% more for transportation
Denver | San Francisco | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $3.34 | $4.89 | |
| Monthly public transit pass | $88.00 | $90.00 | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $34,514.56 | $36,753.89 | |
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $17.42 | $20.31 | |
Denver vs. San Francisco - Cost of transportation
pay 41.5% more for housing
Denver | San Francisco | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet connection 50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl | $64.18 | $68.78 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $2,128.00 | $3,446.66 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $1,704.17 | $2,736.00 | |
| Utilities for two (700 sq ft apartment) including electric, gas, water, heating | $131.92 | $179.63 | |
Denver vs. San Francisco - Cost of housing
pay 2.3 times more for childcare
Denver | San Francisco | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $1,571.72 | $3,236.11 | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $16,168.00 | $42,000.00 | |
Denver vs. San Francisco - Cost of childcare
pay 24.4% more for entertainment and sports
Denver | San Francisco | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $7.00 | $8.00 | |
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $5.51 | $5.98 | |
| Pack of cigarettes Marlboro or similar | $11.00 | $14.00 | |
| Monthly membership at local gym | $69.09 | $109.64 | |
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $15.00 | $17.00 | |
Denver vs. San Francisco - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 2.2% more for clothing
Denver | San Francisco | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular jeans Levi's brand | $64.26 | $70.00 | |
| Regular dress from H&M or similar store | $47.78 | $48.82 | |
| Running shoes Nike or Adidas | $103.45 | $102.00 | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $134.58 | $133.67 | |
Denver vs. San Francisco - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: June 2026
Change currency:
Compare further: Denver vs. San Francisco
Help us improve these prices
MyLifeElsewhere is a collaborative project. Please enter price information for your location to help assist us in making these comparisons more accurate. Learn more
Ask the Elsewhere Community
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about San Francisco or Denver. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.