San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the US, but it’s still possible to live here with a moderate income. You don’t have to work in Silicon Valley or be a software engineer to afford a good life in this city by the bay. I moved to San Francisco from Poland in 2019 and since I’ve been living my dream. I’m a freelance photographer and my husband works in the hospitality industry. We love living here and I want to prove to you that it’s still possible to live in San Francisco on a budget.

ALL THE PICTURES IN THIS BLOG POST ARE EDITED WITH MY ALOHA SUMMER & GOLDEN GLOW COLLECTIONS

Things you have to know, before you move to San Francisco

Amazing views

One of the things I love the most about San Francisco is that you can enjoy the beautiful scenery even from your street or window. The city is so hilly, so the higher you go, the more spectacular landscape you can admire. It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful city that combines the Pacific Ocean and hills. From Russin Hill, we have amazing views of downtown, Alcatraz and the bay. From this part of the city, you can see many pretty views!

Warm climate

San Francisco has a mild-warm climate all year round and there is almost no difference between the seasons, it’s mostly sunny. It’s true that the weather is odd and changes all the time. It’s influenced by cold winds and fog, especially from June throughout August. The best time of year is Autumn because it’s warm and sunny. There is a nice quote that perfectly describes the weather in San Francisco: “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” - Mark Twain.

Open and green spaces - beach, parks, gardens

The city has an excellent recreation opportunity, you can do many different outdoor activities like hiking, cycling, or swimming! There are a lot of parks and hidden gems, really so many things to do in the city. The weather is warm all year round so you can do it whenever you want! I’m such a tennis lover and I really like how close the tennis courts are from our home. We can play tennis all year round because there is little annual precipitation and almost no humidity.

Food diversity

There is a lot of good food to eat in San Francisco. You can try here different cuisines from all over the world. The culinary scene of San Francisco is really diverse and huge, the choice is so wide. We also have different grocery stores where you can buy products from abroad. From shopping Mexican products in Mission to Chinese ones in Chinatown. There is a polish deli too!

Multicultural place

San Francisco is very multicultural and diverse, with many different languages speaking. It’s normal and people are so tolerant, they don’t care about your accent or where are you from. A lot of immigrants live here, some of them don’t even speak English. Don’t forget that the largest Chinatown out of China is located in San Francisco.

Vibrant cultural life and arts

The city’s cultural and arts scene is fantastic. There are many galleries and museums. The city has such a great vibe! I really like colorful murals and street art here. Every year some music festivals take place in the city, like Outside Lands which has been here for over 10 years.

Nice people

The people in San Francisco are so good and friendly. Courtesy is really important. Everyone greets you and asks you about your day. I love these folks! Especially my neighbors and the people from the neighborhood are so nice!

Neighborhoods

Even though San Francisco is so tiny (roughly 49 miles), it has many neighborhoods. Each of them is unique and has a different character, history and aesthetic. You can walk a short distance and pass through totally different neighborhoods, I love that feeling! It seems like each neighborhood is a different small town.

Housing in San Francisco

Housing in San Francisco can be extremely expensive, it also depends on location and type of accommodation. There are some affordable choices if you don’t need a huge apartment. Renting a studio costs around $2000-$2500 monthly and it’s much more affordable than buying a house, which cost around $1,500,000 at least. One of the ways to pay less is to live with roommates and to rent a bedroom, it will cost you around $1400-1800 per month. I know people who even share rooms and they pay $800 monthly. When people ask me where they should search for a rental, I usually recommend Craigslist. You can find there the most affordable housing.

The best neighborhoods to live in San Francisco

The most charming and safe neighborhoods to live are: Marina, Pacific Heights, Russian Hill, Sea Cliff and Russian Hill. At the same time they are the most expensive neighborhoods to live. Sometimes you can find a good deal when it comes to renting an apartment, but you have to do good research. We found a nice studio in Russian Hill and it’s not so expensive.

The cheapest neighborhoods to live in San Francisco

You can find lower rent in neighborhoods like: Nob Hill, Mission, Richmond, Sunset. They are located further away from the center so having a car is highly recommended. Usually they are quieter with more space and parking spots, so it’s nice to living there too.

Getting around in San Francisco

San Francisco is walkable. You can save tones of money when not having a car. You can also avoid spending hours in traffic when you walk or cycle to your destination. Since we live in Russian Hill neighborhood, we don’t have a car and honestly, we don’t need it. We have plenty of grocery stores nearby and San Francisco downtown in a walkable distance. Going car-free is a really good and healthy choice. The best way to safe money on transportation is by using the city’s public transit. Monthly it costs around $80 per month. On the other hand, the average cost of having a car is $300-500 per month, so now it’s obvious how much you can save. I try to walk every day and I like it, but when I need to go somewhere further I hop into a bus or Uber, but sometimes we rent a car and it costs us around $40 per day.

Eating out in San Francisco

The easiest way to save money is to cook at home, but it’s normal that sometimes you crave good, restaurant cuisine. In the city you can find plenty of restaurants which are not expensive but serve tasty food. If you are searching for affordable and good food you can try going to North Beach, China Town or Mission District. You can check all my recommendations in this Ultimate San Francisco Travel Guide, here. We eat out like once of twice per week, we prefer to cook something healthy at home.

Grocery shopping in San Francisco

We usually shop in Trader Joe’s or in Safeway, you can save tones of money on your food. Whole Foods it’s more expensive though. Sometimes I also go to the Farmer’s Market in North Beach where I shop organic, natural fruits and veggies from local suppliers. We spend around $500 each month on grocery shopping, but we don’t eat sweets, chips and we don’t drink sodas.

Having a second job in San Francisco

Many people have a side job in San Francisco, to make more money and afford living here. Usually is something like baby or pet sitting, dog walking, blog freelancing or job in a restaurant/bar. I think that if you work hard and have a good financial sense you can afford living in San Francisco

How much money you need to live in San Francisco?

It’s hard to say how much money will be enough for you, it depends on your needs. I think you need at least $3,300 (after taxes) per month to live comfortably. It’s around 40k per year. Of course it’s better if you could make more! Here is the list how much money approximately I spend every month. I also included my photography expenses for my website and Adobe Photography & Video Plan.

Negatives of living in San Francisco

It’s expensive. The truth is that the city is beautiful, but so expensive when you compare it to other US cities, especially when it comes to housing.

Homeless problem. Every time I hear from my friends who visited San Francisco that the city is so pretty, but there are a lot of homeless people. The city has a huge homeless population which is growing every year. There are some certain regions I don’t visit on foot, as Tenderloin or South or Market. In some neighborhoods, you can see trash and people sleeping on a street, in their tents.

Gloomy and windy weather. The weather is odd, it can be sunny in a moment and then Karl the Fog will cover up the city. You should always carry a jacket with you!

Overall, living in San Francisco has its pros and cons, it depends on your taste if you like it here. Anyway, the city has something special and it will stay in my heart forever. I’m so glad that I moved here despite some drawbacks. There is no other place I’d rather be than in San Francisco.

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How to live in San Francisco on a budget? Costs of living, pros and cons