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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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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
Washington skyline
Carol M. Highsmith. Public domain. Photo source · License

San Francisco vs Washington

$549/mo more in Washington

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

San FranciscoWashingtonAbout 2,404 miles apart, a flight.

  • Washington leaves you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,903/mo in Washington. $2,354/mo in San Francisco. +$6,588 a year.

San Francisco

$2,354

left each month

Washington

$2,903

+$549 vs San Francisco

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Washington wins 3 of 4San Francisco 1 · ties 0
$7,403Take-home · San Francisco$6,921
$2,635Rent · Washington$1,916
$2,414Other bills · Washington$2,102
$2,354Left over · Washington$2,903

Next

In 2022-2023, 1,222 households moved San Francisco → Washington (avg AGI $159,130). 1,292 went the other way. The whole move →

+$549 / 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 monthSan FranciscoWashington
Less leftMore left
Washington · this breakdownSan Francisco · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between San Francisco, CA and Washington, DC
Per monthSan FranciscoWashingtonDifference
Gross pay$10,458$9,678−$780
Income and payroll tax$3,056$2,757−$299
Take-home pay$7,403$6,921−$481
Rent$2,635$1,916−$719
Getting around$558$463−$95
Groceries$512$452−$60
Healthcare$576$508−$68
Utilities$320$283−$37
Everything else$448$395−$53
Left over$2,354$2,903+$549

Salary to match San Francisco

$105,500

Gross pay in Washington that leaves the same amount as $125,500 in San Francisco.

Tax difference

+$668

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 29.2% in San Francisco, 28.5% in Washington.

More about Washington

San Francisco, CA in full

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

Washington, DC in full

Recession-resistant government and consulting pay, humid summers, real transit.

The other way

Start in Washington.

Washington → San Francisco →

Questions

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

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Washington leaves about $549 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $2,635 in San Francisco and $1,916 in Washington.

Does Washington have state income tax?

Washington is in District of Columbia, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from San Francisco to Washington?

The paycheck is taxed in District of Columbia. 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 San Francisco and Washington 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.