San Francisco is a cultural, commercial, and financial center in Northern California that has attracted pioneers and entrepreneurs throughout its history. The city's diversity and progressive culture shape the experiences of its residents and employees. Housing is extremely expensive due to high demand, but the city offers many job opportunities, especially in technology, and a vibrant culture scene.

1. CITY SYNOPSIS:
SAN
FRANCISCO
People moving to
San Francisco – the
cultural, commercial,
and financial center of
Northern California –
join a rich tradition of
pioneers, from the gold
miners, to the counter-
cultural movements of
the 20th century and
the venture capitalists
of the Internet boom.1
This diversity and the
city’s inherent progress
are likely to shape
relocated employees’
experiences of working
in San Francisco.
ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO
FACTS
>> Country: United States
>> Population: 2.2 million
>> Climate: Humid subtropical
>> Industries: Oil and gas, renewable energy,
aerospace, medical
>> National languages: English
(secondary: Spanish)
>> Nickname: Space City
>> Dominant mode of transportation:
Automobile (72-percent)
The largest contributors to the city’s economy
are sectors in financial services, tourism,
technology, and education. And a reminder of
its role in the California Gold Rush, the city is
still one of the largest centers of finance in the
United States.2
San Francisco is renowned for a number of
unique characteristics including its chilly
summer fog, steep rolling hills, and eclectic mix
of Victorian and modern architecture. Notable
landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge,
cable cars, and Chinatown, are just a few of its
recognizable features. And the city growth and
movement of more people toward San Francisco
continues to increase, bringing scores of people
to California for career opportunities in a variety
of industries.
ECONOMIC TRENDS
San Francisco is a popular international tourist
destination, and the industry itself has become the
backbone of the San Francisco Bay Area economy.
As a principal banking and finance center,
the city features more than 30 international
financial institutions, helping to rank San
Francisco 15th in the top 20 global financial
centers in the world. The city is home to the
University of California San Francisco, which
is entirely dedicated to graduate education in
health and biomedical sciences, as well as the
University of California, Hastings College of the
Law, San Francisco State University, the City
College of San Francisco and the University of
San Francisco.3
The Bay Area’s population has continued to
increase due to consistent job creation. “A
big increase is happening in employment in
the Bay Area and again particularly in Silicon
Valley and the San Francisco area,” says
Professor Jim Wilcox, a macroeconomist at the
UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. At the
center of social media and Internet commerce,
San Francisco continues to bring technology
jobs to the area, attracting people here from
all over the nation and world.4
San Francisco has grown from 776,000 people
in 2000 to 805,000 in 2010, and the area as
a whole has grown from 6.7 million people in
2000 to 7.1 million in 2010, according to census
data. Job creation, mostly in technology, has
helped fuel the demand, with 33,400 jobs
expected in 2015 and 45,700 created in 2014,
according to data from real estate brokerage
Marcus & Millichap.5
1
www.expatarrivals.com
2
Ibid.
3
www.forbes.com/places/ca/sanfrancisco
4
Tom Vacar. “Rent prices continue to rise in Bay Area with healthy
job market.” KTVU, May 28, 2015.
5
Meredith Bauer. “Why San Francisco’s Thriving Economy Means Trouble
for the Middle Class.” The Street, May 13, 2015.
Baker’sDozen
CustomerSatisfactionRatings
2015 Winner
RELOCATION

2. San Francisco is also a hot spot for millennials. The city ranked fourth
on the Rent.com Best Cities for Post-Grads list released in April 2015.
Rent.com cited the city’s low unemployment rate and high job postings
per capita as factors behind its high ranking.
While the city’s issues lie in housing and cost of living, the pros in the
job market pick up the slack. San Francisco’s technology credentials and
burgeoning job market have helped to land it at the top of Rent.com’s Best
Cities for Post-Grads list. What the city lacks in affordability, it makes up
for in job opportunities and culture.6
SAN FRANCISCO HOUSING MARKET
The least affordable aspect of living in San Francisco is the exorbitant cost
of housing. Affordable housing is hard to come by. According to data from
the National Association of Realtors, existing home sales prices increased
nearly 36-percent in just two years, from $543,780 in 2012 to $737,600 –
the second highest average sales price in the U.S. – in 2014.7
However, high home sales prices do have a benefit to rental property
landlords. These rates have begun to spill over into the rental market.
According to rental listing site Zumper.com, which tracks average market
rents on a monthly basis, rental rates in San Francisco are the highest in the
country. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in San Francisco is
$4,650, which is at least $1,000 more than the number-two city (New York)
and $2,000 more than the rest of the biggest cities in the country.8
This increase occurs in a city where rent prices shot up 13.5-percent
in 2014. San Francisco has become increasingly unaffordable for many
of its longtime residents and low-wage workers as an influx of Silicon
Valley wealth floods the city. In fact, demand for affordable housing is so
unmanageable in San Francisco that the city was just able to reopen its
public housing waitlist last month for the first time in four years.9
Many transferred employees will find they spend half of their wages on rent,
making purchasing a property a better value than renting. However, reports
show that most moving to San Francisco are transient, and are unwilling to
settle down and commit to a mortgage. Additionally, the majority of those
who relocate to work in the tech industries of Silicon Valley are in many cases
single and childless. The growing new-to-the-Bay-Area population has created
a high demand for rental properties, which in turn has pushed up the prices for
rental accommodations in San Francisco, especially in the heart of the city.10
COST OF LIVING
The Golden Gate City is regularly ranked as one of the most expensive cities
in the country. Cities in the U.S. have climbed dramatically in the cost of
living ranking over the last several years due to the strengthening of the U.S.
dollar against other major currencies. According to the Expatistan Cost of
Living Index, San Francisco ranks at number seven globally, and third in the
U.S., only behind New York City, NY and Washington D.C.11
According to the Council for Community and Economic Research, the total
cost of living in San Francisco is 62.6-percent higher than the U.S. average –
and housing is nearly three times more expensive than in other U.S. cities.12
However, this shouldn’t discourage employees asked to move to San
Francisco. There are many things the city offers at bargain prices. For
example, clothing and groceries are reasonably priced for those living in
the city. This is largely because the Central Valley in California supplies the
region with fresh, affordably priced fruit and vegetables, while meat is also
reasonably priced. In addition, eating out at an average restaurant in San
Francisco is very affordable, even when factoring in a tip. Alcohol is also
affordable and available at most supermarkets and drug stores.13
Public transport is San Francisco is limited for people who don’t live along
the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train line. However, fares on public
transportation are average compared to other U.S. cities. Because of the
limited nature of the city’s transit system, it is common for residents to
drive long distances to work each day, which potentially involves paying
several bridge tolls in addition to fuel costs.14
See Figure 1 for a list of everyday items and prices in San Francisco, California.
See Figure 2 to compare San Francisco’s cost of living with Singapore.
6
Julie Balise. “San Francisco is among the best cities for recent grads.” San Francisco Gate, April 8, 2015.
7
Nick Wallace. “What is the True Cost of Living in San Francisco?” Smart Asset, May 5, 2015.
8
Nick Wallace. “What is the True Cost of Living in San Francisco?” Smart Asset, May 5, 2015.
9
Lydia O’Connor. “America’s Most Expensive City Just Got Even More Expensive.” Huffington Post, February 2, 2015.
10
www.expatarrivals.com
11
www.expatistan.com
12
Nick Wallace. “What is the True Cost of Living in San Francisco?” Smart Asset, May 5, 2015.
13
www.expatarrivals.com
14
www.expatarrivals.com
15
www.numbeo.com.
16
Ibid.
FIGURE 1: PRICE OF COMMON ITEMS
IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA15*
USD EUR GBP SGD
Loaf of bread $3.64 3.32 € £2.33 $5.01
Bottle of wine $15.00 13.69 € £9.61 $20.63
One-way bus ticket $2.25 2.05 € £1.44 $3.09
Pair of sport shoes $91.00 83.03 € £58.32 $125.37
One-bedroom city
apartment (monthly rent)
$3,296 3,006.70 € £2,112.35 $4,540.78
Imported beer at a
restaurant
$6.50 5.93 € £4.17 $8.96
*
Note: current currency conversions reported on August 3, 2015.
FIGURE 2: COST OF LIVING IN SAN FRANCISCO
COMPARED WITH SINGAPORE16
Consumer price index +19.89%
Rent index +57.62%
Groceries index +59.94%
Restaurants index +75.01%
Consumer price plus rent index +37.41%
Local purchasing power +15.21%

3. FREE APPS TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE YOUR NEW CITY
Yelp! – Offering over 50 million
reviews for businesses worldwide,
easily search nearby restaurants,
read reviews, view local deals.
OpenTable – Read restaurant
reviews from real diners, and make
real-time reservations at restaurants
anywhere – anytime.
Waze – Join drivers who share real-
time traffic and road information to
save time and gas money, and improve
daily commuting for all.
Visa payWave – Breeze through check-
out faster and avoid fumbling for cash.
World Customs and Cultures –
An at-a-glance reference, this app
covers the discreet and not-so-discreet
cultural differences a business traveler
may encounter in 165 countries.
Guidekick – Navigate 3D maps of
each San Francisco tourist destination
and explore on your phone. Also
get interesting facts and historical
information on each spot.
Splinster – This global bike share app
makes it easy to find a bike of any kind
or size in San Francisco and in over
63 countries worldwide.
SF Weekly – The SF Weekly app is your
guide to where to go and what to see
in the Bay Area.
Transit and Trails – Locate trails and
let the app tell you how to get there,
either by walking, biking, or driving.
SF Arts Guide – The SF Arts Guide
is a continually updated app that
contains more than a thousand
events each month.
GLOBAL EXPERTISE FOR SUCCESSFUL RELOCATIONS
Graebel worldwide offices are staffed with global relocation industry experts who are ready to help
companies and their assignees on long- or short-term assignments in San Francisco – or anywhere
on six continents. As the industry leader, Graebel proactively provides pre-departure to ongoing
assistance, helping clients’ employees remain productive throughout the assignment. For answers
to questions concerning relocations to San Francisco and the Bay Area, contact Graebel today.
Relocation Services
Transformed on Six
Continents
Global Employee & Office Relocation,
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16346 Airport Circle | Aurora, CO 80011 USA
+1.800.723.6683 | marcom@graebel.com
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The information contained in this document represents the current
research of Graebel Companies, Inc. on the issues discussed as of
the date of publication. This document is for informational purposes
only and does not serve as an endorsement of products nor providers.
Graebel cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented
after the date of publication.
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CITY SYNOPSIS:
SAN
FRANCISCO
SAN FRANCISCO