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Average Rent in San Francisco, CA & Rent Trends

What is the average rent in San Francisco, CA?

The average listed apartment rent in San Francisco, CA is $5,214 per month, as of November 8, 2026. This sample includes 229 priced apartments in 25 buildings. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

We use published total monthly rent when known and base rent otherwise. Unknown fees remain unknown. Included building observations run from November 6, 2026 through November 8, 2026. Buildings without a qualifying price do not count in this sample. The guide directory can include more buildings.

Rent prices and market trends across 25 apartment communities in San Francisco, CA. Prices update after successful source checks.

Area All Areas Financial District Mission Bay Mission Terrace Russian Hill Showplace Square SoMa Tenderloin
San Francisco 94158
Beds All Bedrooms Studio 1 Bed 2 Bed 3 Bed

Showing any bedrooms in San Francisco, CA.

Market Average

$5,214/mo

Lowest Available

$1,225/mo

cheapest unit on market

Communities

25

tracked daily

Units Listed

229

available now

Rent Watch: cuts and increases

Open Rent Watch →

See current options while we confirm new price comparisons. Filter by bedrooms and budget, then inspect each building’s history.

Rent by Neighborhood in San Francisco, CA

Compare average rent across San Francisco, CA neighborhoods. Click any area to see detailed trends. View these neighborhoods on the rent map

Neighborhood Avg Rent 30d Change From Properties Units
Northern Waterfront $8,056 - $2,300 1 5
San Francisco 94158 $6,279 ▲  $286 $3,710 3 46
Russian Hill $5,704 - $3,895 2 7
Financial District $5,195 ▲  $256 $2,595 1 16
Tenderloin $4,891 ▲  $119 $1,225 10 105
SoMa $4,878 ▲  $2,335 $3,300 2 19
Mission Terrace $4,439 ▼  $97 $2,993 3 15

Is Rent Going Up or Down in San Francisco, CA?

As of November 2026, the average rent in San Francisco, CA is $5,214 per month across 25 apartment communities and 229 available units.

The most affordable option is Oasis Apartments (formerly The YWCA Bldg.) starting at $1,225/mo. By unit type, a studio averages $3,677/mo, a 1-bedroom averages $4,727/mo, a 2-bedroom averages $6,411/mo, a 3-bedroom averages $10,157/mo.

Prices range from $1,225 to $12,778 per month. The most common price point is the $5,800+ range, where 78 units are currently listed.

San Francisco, CA Rent Price History

Timeframe
View as table
Month Avg Rent Change Properties
May 2026 $4,134 - 8
June 2026 $4,440 +$306 9
July 2026 $4,645 +$205 12
August 2026 $4,924 +$279 12
September 2026 $4,921 -$3 12
October 2026 $4,941 +$20 27
November 2026 $4,966 +$25 24

The trend line and monthly averages track each building's average listed price, recorded daily with outliers trimmed. The current month is a month-to-date figure, so it can sit above or below today's live market average shown at the top of this page.

Average Rent by Bedroom

Rent Price Distribution

Rent by Bedroom Type in San Francisco, CA

Studio
$3,677
from $1,225 · 48 units
1 Bed
$4,727
from $2,595 · 96 units
2 Bed
$6,411
from $4,095 · 80 units
3 Bed
$10,157
from $7,782 · 5 units

Rent Prices by Apartment in San Francisco, CA

Property Starting at Average Units Rating
Oasis Apartments (formerly The YWCA Bldg.) $1,225/mo $1,225/mo 1 4.3
Brick + Timber $2,300/mo $8,056/mo 5 4.5
77 Bluxome Apartments $2,398/mo $2,424/mo 2 4
RentSFNow $2,595/mo $5,195/mo 16 4.3
33 8th St $2,820/mo $4,036/mo 20 4.2
50 Jones Apartments $2,933/mo $4,024/mo 14 3.7
Ventana Residences $2,993/mo $4,451/mo 9 4.2

Frequently Asked Questions About Rent in San Francisco, CA

How many bedrooms are you looking for?

How many bedrooms are you looking for?

Scroll or tap to choose.
Any bedrooms

What is the average rent in San Francisco, CA?
The average listed apartment rent in San Francisco, CA is $5,214 per month, as of November 8, 2026. This sample includes 229 priced apartments in 25 buildings. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

What rent range can I find in San Francisco, CA?
The apartment listings we track in San Francisco, CA range from $1,225 to $12,778 per month, as of November 8, 2026. These are the lowest and highest listed prices. They are not a typical price for every apartment. The building, floor plan, and lease terms can affect the price.

Are rents going up or down in San Francisco, CA?
There is not enough comparable history to report a reliable 30-day rent change for apartment listings in San Francisco, CA. Missing dates or a change in the buildings we track can prevent a comparison. Missing history does not mean rents stayed flat.

How much is a studio apartment in San Francisco, CA?
Studio apartments average $3,677 per month across 48 priced listings in San Francisco, CA. Listed rents range from $1,225 to $6,740 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 1-bedroom apartment in San Francisco, CA?
1-bedroom apartments average $4,727 per month across 96 priced listings in San Francisco, CA. Listed rents range from $2,595 to $8,821 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 2-bedroom apartment in San Francisco, CA?
2-bedroom apartments average $6,411 per month across 80 priced listings in San Francisco, CA. Listed rents range from $4,095 to $11,995 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 3-bedroom apartment in San Francisco, CA?
3-bedroom apartments average $10,157 per month across 5 priced listings in San Francisco, CA. Listed rents range from $7,782 to $12,778 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How do 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom rents compare in San Francisco, CA?
The 1-bedroom average is $4,727 per month across 96 listings. The 2-bedroom average is $6,411 across 80 listings, $1,684 (35.6%) higher. This is a comparison of listing groups, not the cost to upgrade a specific apartment.

Which tracked building has the lowest starting rent in San Francisco, CA?
Oasis Apartments (formerly The YWCA Bldg.) has the lowest starting rent among the buildings in the comparison table, at $1,225 per month. We track 1 priced listing matching your bedroom choice in that building, as of November 8, 2026. The starting price applies to its lowest-priced matching apartment. Check that apartment's latest price and availability.

How many apartment listings do you track in San Francisco, CA?
We track 229 priced units at 25 apartment buildings, as of November 8, 2026. This is not the total number of apartments in those buildings. A listing can change or become unavailable. Open the apartment details to check its latest status.

How much rent history is available for San Francisco, CA?
We have recorded rent data on 176 days from May 2026 through November 2026 for apartment listings in San Francisco, CA. Some dates can be missing. The chart only shows recorded data. The current month includes the days recorded so far.

Why can the headline rent differ from the trend chart in San Francisco, CA?
The average at the top of the page gives each matching apartment equal weight. The chart first averages recorded prices within each building, then compares buildings. It removes the highest and lowest groups when at least ten buildings contribute and omits days with fewer than five buildings. Different dates, building counts, and listing mixes can produce different figures. The monthly table averages the recorded daily figures.

Does my bedroom choice change the prices and answers?
Yes. Your chosen area and bedroom count filter the asking rents, listing counts, rent ranges, and answers on this page. The active community exclusions are Student housing and 55+ / senior community and Corporate housing and Military / active duty housing and Veteran housing. When you choose a bedroom count, the history chart uses recorded prices for matching apartments with a known identity. If those records are missing, we leave the chart empty rather than use prices for other bedroom types. Open an individual apartment to check its own price history.

Do these rents include utilities, parking, and other fees?
We use the published total monthly rent when it is available and the base rent otherwise. Unknown fees are not zero. Utilities, parking, pet charges, deposits, and one-time costs can add to the amount you pay. Check the selected unit and lease terms for a complete quote.

How should I compare free-rent offers with listed rent?
A free-rent offer can reduce the effective cost over a lease without changing the listed monthly rent. Compare the same lease length and move-in date, then include required charges and the offer conditions. The market averages do not assume an unconfirmed discount.

Does this page represent every rental in the market?
These figures describe the priced apartment listings we track, not every rental home or every occupied apartment. Coverage and the mix of bedrooms, buildings, and locations can change. A lower market average does not prove that the same apartment received a price cut.

How fresh are the San Francisco, CA rent figures?
We schedule rent updates each day, but buildings can have different price-check dates. The latest accepted price check for these listings was November 8, 2026. The month label does not mean we checked every price today. Open the building or apartment details for its latest price and availability.

What salary do I need to live comfortably in San Francisco, CA?

Built on the 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.

Minimum to afford average rent

$209,000/year

Based on the 30 percent rule, using our tracked average rent of $5,214/mo.

Comfortable income

$250,000/year

Based on the 25 percent rule, leaving more room for savings, transport, and groceries.

To afford the cheapest tracked apartment ($1,225/mo), you need to earn at least $49,000/year.

Median household income in San Francisco, CA is $141,446 , about 43% below the comfortable-living threshold.

Explore San Francisco, CA Apartments

Browse all 25 communities with daily-updated pricing and availability.

Browse All Apartments Find Your Match

Cost of living in San Francisco, CA

Overall prices in San Francisco, CA runs above the national average by about 18% (BEA Regional Price Parity index 117.6, where 100 equals the U.S. average). The breakdown below estimates monthly costs for a single adult, using national consumer-spending baselines from the Bureau of Labor Statistics scaled by San Francisco, CA's regional price parities.

Category Monthly estimate
Rent (market average) $5,214
Utilities $861
Groceries $622
Transportation $2,051
Healthcare $1,001
Other goods and services $1,601
Estimated total $11,350/mo

Population

836,321

Median household income

$141,446

Census median rent

$2,419/mo

Census rent burden

24.4%

Median age

39.7

Mean commute

31 min

Methodology

Rent data

We use listed asking rents and schedule daily data updates. Individual buildings can have different verification dates. Check the building or unit page for its latest price and availability.

Cost of living

Estimates combine national consumer-spending baselines from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Survey) with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP dataset). Both are peer-reviewed federal data releases published annually.

Salary to live comfortably

We estimate annual income by dividing annual rent by 30 percent for the affordability figure and 25 percent for the comfortable-income figure. These estimates are a guide, not a guarantee of rental approval.

Demographic figures

Median household income, population, median age, commute time, Census median rent, and rent as percentage of income come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the most recent complete release.

Cost of living and demographic figures were last published in 2023.
California Rent Trends
Compare rent across all California cities
San Francisco, CA Neighborhood Rent Map
See rent history by neighborhood on a map
Explore San Francisco, CA on Map
See neighborhoods and rent data interactively
US-wide rent comparison
See how San Francisco, CA rents stack up against the national median

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