How much does it cost to commute in San Francisco?
In the San Francisco metro area, households spend about 39.0% of income on the combined cost of housing and transportation, with transportation alone accounting for roughly 12.0% of income — about $15,498 per year for a typical household. (Source: CNT Housing + Transportation Affordability Index, area-median-income household.)
Public-transit fares near downtown San Francisco range from $1.00 to $43.00, with a median single-trip fare of $6.30 across 11 agencies and 5,583 priced origin-destination fare pairs in the data. Bike-share is available via Bay Wheels, priced at $1.00 to unlock plus $0.19 per minute.
Driving downtown means paying about $30.08 a day to park (median of 40 sampled garages). The region has 17 priced toll facilities, with rates from $2.75 to $8.75. On a simple daily round-trip basis from the data here, the lowest-cost option is using bike-share at about $9.60 per day.
Cost by mode in San Francisco
Daily round-trip cost, lowest first. All figures.
| Mode | Daily round trip | How it's priced |
|---|---|---|
| Bike-shareCheapest | $9.60 | Bay Wheels: 2 x (unlock $1.00 + 20 min @ $0.19/min) |
| Public transit | $12.60 | 2 x median transit fare ($6.30) |
| Drive (park + toll) | $35.58 | downtown parking $30.08/day + 2 x lowest priced toll ($2.75) |
Public transit fares
| Agency | Fares | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Area Rapid Transit | 5,000 | $6.18 | $2.55–$20.75 |
| Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority | 322 | $20.00 | $6.00–$43.00 |
| Golden Gate Transit | 80 | $5.25 | $1.00–$14.75 |
| Caltrain | 72 | $8.50 | $4.00–$15.25 |
| Sonoma County Transit | 64 | $2.55 | $1.50–$4.80 |
| Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority | 32 | $2.00 | $2.00–$2.00 |
Bike-share
A typical 20-minute ride costs about $4.80.
Toll roads near San Francisco
17 priced toll facilities, rates from $2.75 to $8.75.
| Facility | Operator | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Gate Bridge | Golden Gate Bridge District | $8.75 |
| SR-73 San Joaquin Hills Toll Road | TCA | $7.50 |
| Bay Area Toll Bridges (7) | BATA | $7.00 |
| I-405 Express Lanes (Orange County) | Orange County Transportation Authority | $6.00 |
| SR-241 Foothill/Eastern Toll Road | TCA | $6.00 |
| I-680 SMART Carpool Lanes (Sunol) | Sunol Smart Corridor JPA | $5.00 |
| I-10 Express Lanes (LA Metro ExpressLanes) | LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority | $4.50 |
| I-580 Express Lanes (Alameda) | Alameda County Transportation Commission | $4.50 |
Downtown parking
Housing + Transportation affordability
The widely cited affordability benchmark is 45% for housing + transportation combined. Source: CNT H+T Index (AMI household). Typical household drives 14,791 miles/yr.
The numbers above are metro-wide medians. Enter your real origin and destination to compare drive, transit, park-and-ride, bike, and Uber by actual dollars — gas, tolls, parking, and fares included.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to commute by transit in San Francisco?
The median single-trip transit fare in the San Francisco area is $6.30, ranging from $1.00 to $43.00 depending on the agency and trip distance. A daily round trip costs roughly $12.60.
Is it cheaper to drive or take transit in San Francisco?
Taking transit costs about $12.60 for a daily round trip, while driving and parking downtown costs about $35.58 per day (parking $30.08 plus tolls from $2.75). Transit is the cheaper option on a daily basis.
How much is daily parking in downtown San Francisco?
Downtown San Francisco parking costs about $30.08 per day, or $419.73 per month for a reserved spot, based on 40 sampled garages.
What are the toll roads near San Francisco and what do they cost?
The San Francisco region has 17 priced toll facilities. The highest-rate facility is Golden Gate Bridge (Golden Gate Bridge District) at $8.75. Rates across the region run from $2.75 to $8.75.
How much does bike-share cost in San Francisco?
Bay Wheels bike-share in San Francisco costs $1.00 to unlock plus $0.19 per minute. A 20-minute ride costs about $4.80.
What share of income goes to housing and transportation in San Francisco?
In the San Francisco metro, a typical household spends about 39.0% of income on housing and transportation combined, with 12.0% on transportation alone — roughly $15,498 per year. The widely cited affordability benchmark is 45% for H+T combined.