Is Burlingame cheaper than South San Francisco?

South San Francisco has the lower day-to-day cost index (175 vs 226 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.

What household income in South San Francisco equals $85,000 in Burlingame?

A household earning $85,000 in Burlingame needs about $84,500 in South San Francisco to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of South San Francisco lifestyle costs about $85,500 in Burlingame.

City data & comparisons

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Burlingame, CA vs South San Francisco, CA

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

Personalize this comparison

A household earning $85,000 in Burlingame needs about $84,500 in South San Francisco to keep the same lifestyle.

Coming from South San Francisco, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $85,500 in Burlingame.

A few differences

Burlingame is higher on median household income ($174,000 vs $136,578).
South San Francisco is lower on cost of living index (175 vs 226).
South San Francisco is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($2,920/mo vs $3,342/mo).

Burlingame vs South San Francisco · facet by facet

Facet	Burlingame, CA	South San Francisco, CA
Median home price	$2,000,001	$1,188,800
2-bedroom rent	$3,342/mo	$2,920/mo
Property tax rate	0.75%	0.75%
State & local income tax	2.09%	2.09%
Sales tax	8.8%	8.8%
Cost of living index	226	175
Groceries index	112	112
Utilities	$245/mo	$245/mo
Median household income	$174,000	$136,578
Unemployment rate	5.2%	5.2%
Crime index	52/100	52/100
School rating	5.5/10	5.5/10
Sunny days / year	260 days	260 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: Burlingame, CA · South San Francisco, CA

Questions & answers

Is Burlingame cheaper than South San Francisco?: South San Francisco has the lower day-to-day cost index (175 vs 226 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in South San Francisco equals $85,000 in Burlingame?: A household earning $85,000 in Burlingame needs about $84,500 in South San Francisco to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of South San Francisco lifestyle costs about $85,500 in Burlingame.