Rent vs Buy in San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA Assumptions

Home Purchase
Ongoing Costs
Rental
Growth
Tax
Projection

Buy Net Worth

Rent Net Worth

Break-Even

Verdict

Net Worth Over Time — San Francisco, CA

Year-by-Year Comparison

Year-by-year rent vs buy comparison for San Francisco, CA
Year Buy
Net Worth
Rent
Net Worth
Difference Monthly
Buy Cost
Monthly
Rent

Cities & Towns in San Francisco, CA

This calculator's defaults reflect the broader San Francisco, CA metropolitan area, including:

  • San Francisco
  • Oakland
  • Berkeley
  • Daly City
  • South San Francisco
  • Richmond
  • San Mateo
  • Redwood City
  • Walnut Creek
  • Concord
  • Hayward
  • San Leandro
  • Alameda
  • Marin County (San Rafael, Mill Valley)

Region: West. Housing cost-of-living index: 345 (national avg = 100). Composite cost-of-living: 178.

About this San Francisco, CA estimate

The default home price and rent come from the San Francisco, CA metropolitan area's housing cost-of-living index applied to national 2025 medians ($420,000 home, $1,850/mo rent for a typical 2-3 BR). The property tax rate is the average effective rate for California per the Tax Foundation. These are starting points — adjust to match your specific listing, neighborhood, and tax bill.