Pacific fog, painted hills, hyper-modern appetite.
Ranks #67 of 68 — sits in the top of the global price band, driven mainly by accommodation.
At $728/day mid-range, San Francisco runs 161% over the $279/day global median across 68 cities.
Tops the North America index at $728/day mid-range — the ceiling reference among 3 cities we track here.
San Francisco sits well above the global median — a $728/day mid-range figure, 161% over the $279/day baseline across 68 cities. Inside North America it's ranked #3 of 3 on daily cost, 13% above the regional average of $642/day. Individual cost lines all track close to the regional norm, so San Francisco's daily figure is a fair proxy for the region as a whole. Season effect is roughly 47% between low and peak, in line with the global average (~47%), which is why timing the trip to sep–nov shows up on nearly every itinerary that hits the numbers on this page.
On a shoulder-season day in San Francisco, a budget traveller spends about $318, a mid-range traveller about $728, and a luxury traveller about $2040 — per person, covering accommodation, food, local transport, activities, and miscellaneous costs. At $728/day mid-range, San Francisco is more expensive than most major destinations (global median $279/day).
Time your visit for Sep–Nov and the daily figure stays near the baseline; shift into peak and you'll see roughly a 47% swing between low and peak season for the same mid-range trip ($619 → $910 per day).
Compared with nearby North America destinations, Toronto is the cheaper neighbour ($471/day).
| Category | Budget | Mid-range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| accommodation | $170 | $374 | $1105 |
| food | $59 | $153 | $408 |
| transport | $20 | $48 | $119 |
| activities | $43 | $102 | $272 |
| Misc & fees | $26 | $51 | $136 |
| Total per day | $318 | $728 | $2040 |
Per person · USD · shoulder-season baseline
| Season | Budget / day | Mid / day | Luxury / day |
|---|---|---|---|
| low | $270 | $619 | $1734 |
| shoulder | $318 | $728 | $2040 |
| peak | $398 | $910 | $2550 |
Best-value window: Sep–Nov
| Length | Budget | Mid-range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | $954 | $2,184 | $6,120 |
| 7 days | $2,226 | $5,096 | $14,280 |
| 14 days | $4,452 | $10,192 | $28,560 |
On-the-ground totals · shoulder season · excludes flights and visas