CITY COMPARISON
San Francisco vs Seattle Cost of Living: Which Is Cheaper in 2026?
Data updated May 2026. Rent from Zillow ZORI, taxes from the Tax Foundation, cost-of-living index from BEA.
San Francisco to Seattle is the move that lets a tech worker stay in tech and still cut the tax bill. California has one of the highest income tax rates in the country. Washington has none on wage income.
Seattle is not cheap. Its cost of living and rent are well above the national average. But next to San Francisco it is clearly lower, and the zero income tax is the headline.
Is San Francisco or Seattle cheaper to live in?
At a $100,000 salary, moving from San Francisco to Seattle frees up roughly $25,400 a year in disposable income. At $150,000 the gap widens to about $30,000 a year in Seattle's favor.
Seattle wins for nearly every earner. You go from a high California income tax to zero, and rent and overall costs are lower too. San Francisco only competes when a specific role pays a premium large enough to cover all of that.
DISPOSABLE INCOME: MOVING SAN FRANCISCO → SEATTLE
AT A $100,000 SALARY
in Seattle's favor
AT A $150,000 SALARY
in Seattle's favor
Assumes the same gross salary in both cities (the remote-work case) and a single filer renting at the local median. Positive means Seattle leaves more money after tax, housing, and everyday costs.
Full cost breakdown: San Francisco vs Seattle
Here is where every dollar goes in each city, at two salary levels. Taxes, housing, and everyday costs are all in.
AT A $100,000 SALARY
| Line item | San Francisco | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $100,000 | $100,000 |
| Federal income tax | -$15,000 | -$15,000 |
| State income tax (9.3%) Seattle: (0%) | -$9,300 | -$0 |
| FICA (Social Security + Medicare) | -$7,650 | -$7,650 |
| Housing (median rent) ($2,500/mo) Seattle: ($1,720/mo) | -$30,000 | -$20,640 |
| Other living costs (COL index 196) Seattle: (COL index 153) | -$44,400 | -$37,950 |
| Sales tax on spending (8.85%) Seattle: (9.4%) | -$2,751 | -$2,497 |
| Disposable income / year | -$9,101 | $16,263 |
AT A $150,000 SALARY
| Line item | San Francisco | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $150,000 | $150,000 |
| Federal income tax | -$27,000 | -$27,000 |
| State income tax (9.3%) Seattle: (0%) | -$13,950 | -$0 |
| FICA (Social Security + Medicare) | -$11,475 | -$11,475 |
| Housing (median rent) ($2,500/mo) Seattle: ($1,720/mo) | -$30,000 | -$20,640 |
| Other living costs (COL index 196) Seattle: (COL index 153) | -$44,400 | -$37,950 |
| Sales tax on spending (8.85%) Seattle: (9.4%) | -$2,751 | -$2,497 |
| Disposable income / year | $20,424 | $50,438 |
San Francisco vs Seattle: taxes, rent, and schools at a glance
| Metric | San Francisco | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| State income tax | 9.3% | None |
| Median 1-bedroom rent | $2,500/mo | $1,720/mo |
| Combined sales tax | 8.85% | 9.4% |
| Cost-of-living index (US avg = 100) | 196 | 153 |
| School composite rating (1-10) | 7/10 | 6/10 |
Who should pick San Francisco?
Stay in San Francisco only if your compensation is genuinely tied to being there: deep startup equity, a role that does not exist elsewhere. For most tech workers, that bar is higher than the salary actually clears.
Who should pick Seattle?
Pick Seattle if you want to stay in big tech without the California tax. Major employers are there, the zero income tax is permanent, and housing, while expensive, is a step down from the Bay Area.
How we calculated this
Disposable income is gross salary minus federal income tax, state income tax, FICA, housing, everyday non-housing costs, and sales tax on discretionary spending. Federal tax uses 2026 effective rates after the standard deduction for a single filer. State income tax is a single-bracket approximation for mid-six-figure earners. Housing is the median 1-bedroom rent. Non-housing costs scale with the BEA cost-of-living index. Sales tax is applied to roughly 70 percent of discretionary spending, since groceries and many services are reduced-rate or exempt in most states.
The numbers on this page assume the same gross salary in both cities. That is the remote-work scenario, and it is the cleanest way to isolate the cost-of-living difference. If a new job would rebase your salary by city, plug both real offers into the tool below.
Run your own San Francisco vs Seattle numbers
The interactive Move-To-City tool lets you set different salaries for each city, enter your actual rent, switch filing status, and see the full FIRE-timeline impact of the move.
Open the Move-To-City tool →KEEP READING
Educational only, not financial advice. Cost-of-living estimates are modeled approximations from public data and will not match any individual budget exactly. Verify rent, tax, and salary figures for your own situation before making a move.