Uprootmap
Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
Uprootmap
Detroit skyline
Crisco 1492. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License
San Francisco skyline
Daniel L. Lu (user:dllu) Camera location 37° 49′ 39.52″ N, 122° 29′ 56.17″ W View this and other nearby images on: OpenStreetMap 37.827644; -122.498935. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License

Detroit vs San Francisco

$147/mo less in San Francisco

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

DetroitSan FranciscoAbout 2,070 miles apart, a flight.

  • San Francisco costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • 259 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,335/mo in San Francisco. $2,482/mo in Detroit. −$1,764 a year.

Detroit

$2,482

left each month

San Francisco

$2,335

−$147 vs Detroit

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

San Francisco wins 1 of 4Detroit 3 · ties 0
$5,576Take-home · San Francisco$7,384
$1,185Rent · Detroit$2,635
$1,909Other bills · Detroit$2,414
$2,482Left over · Detroit$2,335

Next

In 2022-2023, 392 households moved Detroit → San Francisco (avg AGI $127,309). 268 went the other way. The whole move →

−$147 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthDetroitSan Francisco
Less leftMore left
San Francisco · this breakdownDetroit · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Detroit, MI and San Francisco, CA
Per monthDetroitSan FranciscoDifference
Gross pay$7,625$10,426+$2,801
Income and payroll tax$2,049$3,042+$993
Take-home pay$5,576$7,384+$1,808
Rent$1,185$2,635+$1,450
Getting around$560$558−$2
Groceries$372$512+$140
Healthcare$419$576+$157
Utilities$233$320+$87
Everything else$326$448+$122
Left over$2,482$2,335−$147

Salary to match Detroit

$128,000

Gross pay in San Francisco that leaves the same amount as $91,500 in Detroit.

Tax difference

−$1,816

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 26.9% in Detroit, 29.2% in San Francisco.

More about San Francisco

Detroit, MI in full

Engineering wages against some of the cheapest urban housing in America.

San Francisco, CA in full

Dense, walkable, cold in July, and priced for two incomes.

The other way

Start in San Francisco.

San Francisco → Detroit →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in San Francisco than Detroit?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, San Francisco leaves about $147 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,185 in Detroit and $2,635 in San Francisco.

Does San Francisco have state income tax?

San Francisco is in California, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Detroit to San Francisco?

The paycheck is taxed in California. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.

Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Detroit and San Francisco changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.

Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.