Boston - MA vs San Francisco - CA: 2026 Housing Comparison

What this means for buyers

San Francisco - CA is roughly 54% more expensive than Boston - MA in typical home value.

Boston vs San Francisco: what the numbers say

At today's 7.24% average 30-year rate with 20% down, the typical home would cost about $3,956 a month in principal and interest in Boston and $6,108 in San Francisco, a gap of $2,152 a month.

Typical rent runs $2,987 in Boston and $3,445 in San Francisco, so the mortgage payment alone is 1.3 times rent in Boston and 1.8 times rent in San Francisco, before taxes and insurance.

Home prices are 20.2 years of rent in Boston and 27.1 in San Francisco; the lower ratio in Boston means buying there is cheaper relative to renting.

Over the last 23 months typical values moved +3.0% in Boston and -0.6% in San Francisco; over just the last three months the change was +0.6% in Boston and +1.4% in San Francisco.

Homes sell for 101.3% of list price in Boston and 106.1% in San Francisco, after 14 and 16 days on the market, with price cuts on 24% and 21% of listings. The signs are mixed: Boston has more price cuts and sales further below list, while San Francisco has longer time on the market.

The number of homes for sale is up 14% on a year ago in Boston and down 13% on a year ago in San Francisco.

Payments assume a 30-year fixed loan at the Freddie Mac weekly average rate (2026-10-29), 20% down, principal and interest only. Home values, rents and market figures are Zillow Research metro data.