How much is rent in San Francisco, CA?

The median 2-bedroom in San Francisco rents for $2,766 a month with utilities, $1,203 more than the US median. A 1-bedroom runs $2,191 and a 3-bedroom $3,267.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.

$2,7662-bedroom¹US: $1,563
$2,1911-bedroom¹US: $1,362
$110,640Income for a 2-bed at 30%²A year
24%Share of typical income³For a 2-bedroom

Rent in San Francisco by number of bedrooms

Median rent, utilities included, next to the US median.¹

Studio$1,874/mo
San Francisco
$1,874
US
$1,365
Income to keep it at 30%: $74,960²
1 bedroom$2,191/mo
San Francisco
$2,191
US
$1,362
Income to keep it at 30%: $87,640²
2 bedrooms$2,766/mo
San Francisco
$2,766
US
$1,563
Income to keep it at 30%: $110,640²
3 bedrooms$3,267/mo
San Francisco
$3,267
US
$1,760
Income to keep it at 30%: $130,680²
4 bedrooms$3,500+/mo
San Francisco
$3,500+
US
$2,153
Income to keep it at 30%: over $140,000²

Work out what rent you can afford · Full cost of living in San Francisco

Where rent costs less than San Francisco

54 of the cities we cover have a lower median 2-bedroom rent. The cheapest and the closest:¹

City	2-bedroom rent	Less than San Francisco
Paducah, KY	$886	$1,880/mo
Terre Haute, IN	$901	$1,865/mo
Muncie, IN	$919	$1,847/mo
Orlando, FL	$1,855	$911/mo
Tampa, FL	$1,861	$905/mo
Sarasota, FL	$1,975	$791/mo

Rent in San Francisco: questions people ask

How much is rent in San Francisco?

Median rent with utilities, all units: $2,480 a month. By size: studio $1,874, 1 bedroom $2,191, 2 bedrooms $2,766, 3 bedrooms $3,267, 4 bedrooms $3,500+ (Census ACS, 2025).

How much do you need to make to afford rent in San Francisco?

To keep a 2-bedroom at 30% of income, about $110,640 a year. For a 1-bedroom, $87,640.

What share of income goes to rent in San Francisco?

A year of median 2-bedroom rent equals 24% of the median household income of $136,020 (Census ACS, 2025).

Where is rent cheaper than San Francisco?

Of the cities we cover, Paducah, KY ($886), Terre Haute, IN ($901), Muncie, IN ($919) have the lowest median 2-bedroom rent.

Rent elsewhere in California

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Notes on the numbers

1Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table B25031, median gross rent by number of bedrooms (rent plus utilities the renter pays), 2025. Covers all renters, including long-time tenants, so new leases often cost more. $3,500+ is the highest figure the Census publishes. Census table
2Income to keep rent at 30%: a year of rent divided by 0.3, the common rule of thumb. Our arithmetic.
3Household income: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table B19013, median household income, 2025. Census table

Sources for this page