San FranciscovsNew York City
💰
New York City saves you $1,300/month
24% cheaper on rent, food & transport
📶
San Francisco has 2x faster internet
500 Mbps avg download speed
🌡️
Mediterranean vs Continental climate
Different weather patterns year-round
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
San Francisco
New York City
Total Budget
$5,500/mo
$4,200/mo ✓
Rent (1BR)
$3,200/mo ✓
$4,000/mo
Coworking
$470/mo
$380/mo ✓
Meal Out
$15 ✓
$20
Coffee
$6
$5 ✓
New York City is $1,300/mo cheaper (31% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇺🇸 San Francisco
📶 Internet500 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-8
🗣️ Englishhigh
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London3h
🇩🇪 Berlin2h
🇺🇸 New York City
📶 Internet300 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-5
🗣️ Englishhigh
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London6h
🇩🇪 Berlin5h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
San Francisco
ClimateMediterranean
Avg Temp14°C
Rainy Days61/year
Best months: June, July, August, September
New York City
ClimateContinental
Avg Temp13°C
Rainy Days118/year
Best months: June, August, September, May
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
11°1°
Apr
12°12°
Jul
16°26°
Oct
17°14°
San FranciscoNew York City
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇺🇸San Francisco
🇺🇸New York City
💰
Monthly Budget
$5,500
$4,200
Winner📶
Internet Speed
500 Mbps
Winner300 Mbps
🛡️
Safety
3.5/5
3.6/5
⭐
Nomad Score
3.8/10
4.4/10
Winner🍽️
Food Scene
9/10
10/10
🎉
Nightlife
8/10
10/10
Winner🚶
Walkability
9/10
9/10
👥
Community
large
large
1
San Francisco wins
vs
3
New York City wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
New York City
$1300/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
San Francisco
500 Mbps is essential for video calls & uploads
🦋Social Butterfly
Either works
Similar social opportunities
🛡️Safety-First
Either works
Both cities are similarly safe
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
New York City
World-famous nightlife scene
🇺🇸San Francisco
Pros
- +World-class tech ecosystem and networking opportunities
- +Excellent internet infrastructure with widespread 5G
- +Highly walkable city with great public transportation
- +Incredible food scene with diverse cuisines
Cons
- −Extremely high cost of living and rent
- −Visible homelessness crisis in some areas
- −Property crime remains a concern despite improvements
- −Foggy summers can be surprisingly cold
🇺🇸New York City
Pros
- +One of the world's biggest hubs for tech, media, finance and the creative industries with endless networking opportunities
- +Insane cultural density: museums, galleries, concerts, theatre, comedy and events every single day
- +Fast, reliable internet and plenty of high-end coworking spaces across Manhattan and Brooklyn
- +Truly walkable core with a 24/7 subway system and good bus coverage
Cons
- −Extremely high cost of living and rent – one of the most expensive cities on the planet for long stays
- −Small apartments, high competition for housing and often long commutes from more affordable areas
- −Hot, humid summers and cold winters with heatwaves and snowstorms possible
- −Can feel intense, crowded and noisy; not ideal if you want a slow or quiet base
