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San Francisco
#4 of 124
North America

San Francisco

CA, United States

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in San Francisco compare to Manila?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in San Francisco is 252% better off vs in Manila

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in San Francisco compared to Manila, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$272,450
+$254K (+1379%) vs Manila
Based on 12432 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$172,461
+$158K (+1070%) vs Manila
Tax Rate: 37%

Community Insights

New

San Francisco remains the high-risk, high-reward gladiatorial arena of the tech world. While the media narrative has focused on a "doom loop" of crime and retail exodus, local sentiment in 2024 has shifted toward an "AI boom" optimism. Financially, it makes immense sense: while the Cost of Living rank (#121) is brutal, the sheer magnitude of the salaries (#2 Net Income) allows for aggressive savings that dwarf other cities. However, the trade-off is a Safety Index of 39.4, requiring residents to develop "street smarts" and tolerate visible urban decay that would be unacceptable in other wealthy cities.

Resident Sentiment

Current residents express a mix of defensive realism and cautious optimism. Long-time locals argue the "failed city" narrative is exaggerated, noting that neighborhoods like Hayes Valley and The Mission are vibrant and safe. However, there is universal frustration with local governance regarding property crime and street cleanliness. Many transplants admit they don't love the city itself, but they love the career acceleration and the California geography too much to leave.

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to Manila.

Rankings

Net Income

Top 2%

#2

of 124 cities

$172,461/yr

Current value

Community Events

Top 3%

#4

of 124 cities

18 events on luma

Current value

Purchasing Power

Top 3%

#4

of 124 cities

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in San Francisco compared to Manila?

Avg. Property Price
$10,042 / m²
184% more expensive than Manila
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in San Francisco to maintain the same standard of living.

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Do you have kids?

Cost of Living
233% more expensive than Manila
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in San Francisco

OpenAI logo
OpenAI
Anthropic logo
Anthropic
Coupang logo
Coupang

The Good

  • Unmatched Career Growth: Remains the undisputed global hub for tech, particularly the current AI boom, offering serendipitous networking and access to top-tier startups and FAANG HQs.
  • High Saving Potential: Despite the high cost of living (#121), the exceptional median salary ($271k) and #4 Purchasing Power ranking allow engineers to save significantly more in absolute dollars than peers in other cities.
  • Nature & Weather: Access to world-class outdoor activities (Marin Headlands, Tahoe, Yosemite) combined with a mild, temperate climate (avg 14.3°C) that lacks freezing winters or sweltering summers.
  • Intellectual Density: Residents frequently mention the "iron sharpens iron" effect; being surrounded by the smartest engineers and founders creates a motivating, if intense, environment.

The Bad

  • Visible Street Issues: Residents consistently complain about the "grime", visible homelessness, and open drug use, particularly in downtown areas (SOMA, Tenderloin), reflected in the low Safety Index (#107).
  • Property Crime: A specific, recurring complaint about "bipping" (car break-ins) and property theft, which feels pervasive even in nicer neighborhoods.
  • Tech Monoculture: The social scene is often described as one-dimensional, where "everyone talks about work/AI," making it harder to find diverse friend groups outside the industry.
  • Dating Scene Struggles: Frequent Reddit discussions cite a difficult dating market, often blamed on the "Man Jose" gender ratio spillover and a perceived lack of social effort/skills in the tech-heavy population.

The Verdict

You'll love it if...

Ambitious career-climbers and AI specialists are the ideal candidates; if you want to be at the center of the current tech zeitgeist, this is non-negotiable. It also suits outdoor enthusiasts who view the city as a highly paid basecamp for weekend nature trips. Those who prioritize maximizing net worth over day-to-day luxury will thrive here.

Skip it if...

families seeking affordable space (buying a home is extremely difficult) and individuals who are sensitive to urban grit. If seeing homelessness or worrying about car break-ins causes you significant anxiety, the high salary won't compensate for the stress. Additionally, those seeking a diverse social bubble (artists, non-techies) may find the culture stifling.

Updated 11/29/2025

Weather8.7/10+480% vs Manila
Safety39+11%
Pollution49-45%
Events18+500%
8.7/10TechCities weather score vs 1.5/10 in Manila

0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

Weather snapshot

Average High
19°C(vs 32°C in Manila)
Average Low
12°C(vs 25°C in Manila)
Sunshine Hours
3,062h/yr+959h/yr(+46%)
Hottest Month High
22°C(vs 34°C in Manila)
Coldest Month Low
8°C(vs 23°C in Manila)
Rainy Days
49/yr-103/yr(-68%)

Community & Quality

San Francisco community pulse

San Francisco has 18 Luma events listed.

500% more events than Manila.

Comfortable Weather

Top 10%

#12

of 124 cities

87/100 weather score

Current value

Home Affordability

Top 26%

#32

of 124 cities

≈4.7 yrs to buy 80m²

Current value

Pollution Score

Middle of the pack

#67

of 124 cities

49.2/100

Current value (lower is better)

Tax Rate

Bottom 24%

#96

of 124 cities

37%

Current value (lower is better)

Safety Index

Bottom 15%

#107

of 124 cities

39.4/100

Current value

Cost of Living

Bottom 3%

#121

of 124 cities

90/100

Current value (lower is better)

SWE Affordability
4.7 years
14.5 years quicker than Manila
Muggy Days
0/yr-363/yr(-100%)
Cloud Cover
34%(vs 74% in Manila)