cost
Cost of Living Index
San Francisco81.8 / 0
New York City44.8 / 100
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: New York City leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; New York City leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; New York City leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; New York City leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | San Francisco | 81.8 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | New York City | 44.8 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | San Francisco | 49.3 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | New York City | 68.2 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | San Francisco | $3,447 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | New York City | $2,318 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | San Francisco | 14.2x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | New York City | 10.5x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | San Francisco | $3,849/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | New York City | $4,440/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | San Francisco | 7.7% | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | New York City | 10.5% | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | San Francisco | 59.6 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | New York City | 55.3 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | San Francisco | 73.2 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | New York City | 72.0 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
New York City wins on 13 of 22 metrics compared to San Francisco.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
San Francisco leads jobs, health, and air quality; New York City leads cost, safety, and rent.
cost
San Francisco
81.8
New York City
44.8
safety
San Francisco
49.3
New York City
68.2
housing
San Francisco
$3,447
New York City
$2,318
housing
San Francisco
14.2x
New York City
10.5x
jobs
San Francisco
$3,849/mo
New York City
$4,440/mo
jobs
San Francisco
7.7%
New York City
10.5%
health
San Francisco
59.6
New York City
55.3
health
San Francisco
73.2 years
New York City
72.0 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
San Francisco
1.3%
New York City
2.8%
education
San Francisco
51.2
New York City
70.2
transport
San Francisco
59
New York City
48.8
safety
San Francisco
20.7 per 100k
New York City
11.7 per 100k
safety
San Francisco
64.5 per 100k
New York City
55.3 per 100k
health
San Francisco
29.7%
New York City
16.1%
quality
San Francisco
5.5
New York City
5.2
housing
San Francisco
$8,377/sqm
New York City
$14,991/sqm
religion
San Francisco
23.3%
New York City
41.2%
religion
San Francisco
70.5%
New York City
46.6%
religion
San Francisco
31.5%
New York City
61.2%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.