Rent vs Buy in San Francisco, CA

Should you rent or buy a home in San Francisco? Use our calculator with local market data to make an informed decision.

Median Home Price
$1,350,000
Median Rent
$3,400/mo
Property Tax Rate
0.74%
Price-to-Rent Ratio
33.1x

Rent vs Buy in San Francisco, California

Should you rent or buy a home? Calculate your best option.

Your Scenario

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%
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7 years
1 years30 years

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Adjust these sliders to see how different assumptions affect your decision.

Mortgage Rate7.00%
5%7%9%
Home Appreciation3.0%
0%3%5%
Rent Growth3.0%
0%3%6%
Time Horizon7 years
35710

💡 Tips

  • • Higher mortgage rates favor renting
  • • Higher home appreciation favors buying
  • • Higher rent growth favors buying
  • • Longer time horizons typically favor buying
🔑Renting is Better

You could save $220,619 by renting

Over 7 years

Monthly Cost (Rent)
$3,722
Average
Monthly Cost (Own)
$9,513
Average (excl. equity)
Total Rent Paid
$312,628
Total Owner Costs
$1,109,565
Final Equity
$576,318
After selling costs
Break-Even Year
Never
Beyond horizon

Upfront Costs to Buy

Down Payment (20%)$270,000
Closing Costs (3%)$40,500
Total Needed$310,500

Cost Comparison Over Time

$1,109,565$887,652$665,739$443,826$221,913$00y1y2y3y4y5y6y7y
Total Rent Paid
Total Owner Costs
Net Cost (After Equity)
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About Buying vs Renting in San Francisco

The decision to rent or buy in San Francisco, California depends on many factors including your financial situation, how long you plan to stay, and current market conditions.

With a median home price of $1,350,000 and median rent of $3,400 per month, San Francisco has a price-to-rent ratio of 33.1. This relatively high ratio suggests renting may be more economical in the short term.

Use our calculator above to input your specific scenario and see a personalized analysis. Adjust the time horizon, mortgage rate, and other factors to explore different outcomes.