Things to Know Before Moving to San Francisco

San Francisco is one of the most rewarding and most demanding cities to move to in the country. It is beautiful, walkable, endlessly diverse, and packed into less than fifty square miles. It is also expensive, foggy, hilly, and governed by a few local rules that nobody hands you at the door. Learn them before you arrive and the city opens up much faster.

This guide covers what actually matters in your first months: the cost, the car question, the hills and the weather, the fast housing market, the DMV, earthquakes, and how to settle in and make it feel like home.

Quick answer: what should you know before moving to San Francisco?

Five things matter most. San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the country, so budget around housing first. You may not need a car, since transit and walkability are strong, but parking is a genuine headache. The city is famously hilly and foggy, so pack good shoes and dress in layers. The housing market moves fast and competitive. And new California residents have to handle the DMV quickly, within 10 days for a license. The rest of this guide fills in the detail.

San Francisco is expensive

There is no gentle way to say it: San Francisco is among the most expensive cities in the United States. Housing drives most of it, and rent or a mortgage will likely be the biggest line in your budget by a wide margin. Food, utilities, and everyday costs run above the national average too.

Some of it is controllable. Skipping a car, using transit, and shopping the city’s many farmers markets all trim the bills. But plan for sticker shock at first, and build your budget around housing before anything else. If the city itself is out of reach, the areas across the bridges cost less, which we come back to below.

You may not need a car, but parking is a battle

San Francisco is one of the few American cities where going car-free is realistic. It is compact and walkable, and it has two rail systems: BART, which connects the city to the East Bay and the Peninsula, and Muni, which covers buses, streetcars, and the cable cars within the city. The two do not fully interconnect, and schedules can be loose, but together they get you most places. The city is also one of the best in the country for biking, with bike-share and scooter options, and driverless Waymo robotaxis now operate here alongside Uber and Lyft.

The catch is parking. Curb space is scarce, garages are pricey, and street cleaning and permit zones will earn you tickets. Many residents keep a car anyway, because California rewards it: wine country, Lake Tahoe, and the coast are all within reach, but you need a car to enjoy them. If you do keep one, still lean on transit in town, because it is almost always rush hour somewhere.

The hills are real, so bring the right shoes

San Francisco is famously hilly, with more than one steep grade per square mile, and newcomers routinely underestimate what that does to a daily walk. Leave the shoes that pinch or slow you down at home. If you walk or take transit to work and need to look sharp there, pack your dress shoes and change when you arrive. Your feet and back will thank you. The same hills, narrow streets, and tight staircases are also why moving day here is harder than in a flat city, more on that at the end.

Dress in layers and respect the fog

San Francisco has a mild, predictable climate on paper, roughly 50 to 70 degrees most of the year. In practice it is a city of microclimates and fog. Cross three neighborhoods and you can pass through three kinds of weather, and the temperature can shift block to block. The fog, thickest in summer, can make a warm day feel cold in minutes.

The answer is layers. Keep a light jacket, a scarf, and maybe a hat within reach year-round, and expect to add and shed them through the day. Everyone else is doing the same.

The housing market moves fast

If you have not locked in a place yet, know that San Francisco housing moves at speed. Desirable homes and rentals go quickly, often within weeks, and it is common to see offers at or above asking, sometimes all cash. Be ready to move fast and to lose a few before one lands.

If the city’s prices do not work, look outward. Housing generally gets more affordable once you leave San Francisco proper, especially across the bay and down the Peninsula. East Bay cities like Oakland and Berkeley, or Daly City just south, offer more room for the money with a manageable commute. Our guide to the best San Francisco neighborhoods breaks down the city and the surrounding towns by budget and lifestyle.

Handle the California DMV early

This is the deadline most newcomers miss. When you become a California resident, the state gives you a narrow window: 10 days to apply for a California driver license and 20 days to register an out-of-state vehicle. Late registration adds fees.

There are extra steps for a car. Most out-of-state vehicles need a smog check and a VIN verification before California will register them, and the state does not accept out-of-state smog certificates. Book a DMV appointment rather than walking in, since San Francisco offices stay busy. The California DMV’s New Resident portal lists exactly what to bring.

Be ready for earthquakes

The Bay Area is earthquake country, and the right response is preparation, not worry. Most quakes are small and pass in seconds, but it is worth being ready for a larger one. Keep a basic kit with water, food, a flashlight, and copies of important documents, secure tall furniture and water heaters to the wall, and learn the “drop, cover, and hold on” routine. Ready.gov’s earthquake guide is a solid starting point.

The culture: diverse, green, and outdoors-obsessed

San Francisco is one of the most diverse cities in the country, and it shows up in the neighborhoods. Chinatown, one of the oldest and largest outside Asia, sits near North Beach’s Italian cafes; the Mission is the heart of Latino culture and, many argue, the best food in the city; and the Castro remains a historic center of the LGBTQ community. Exploring these neighborhoods, and eating your way through them, is one of the fastest ways to feel at home.

Two other things define daily life here. The first is green living, which locals take seriously: composting and recycling are the norm, single-use items are frowned upon, and you may not find a public trash can when you want one, so plan to carry out what you carry in. The second is the outdoors. The city has more than 200 parks, including the vast Golden Gate Park, plus beaches and trails at Lands End and Ocean Beach. Beyond the city, weekend trips to Napa and Sonoma wine country, Sausalito, Big Sur, and Lake Tahoe are all within a few hours. Keep your hiking boots handy.

Talk like a local

One quick way to sound like a resident rather than a visitor: do not call it “San Fran.” Locals say San Francisco, SF, or “The City.” A few etiquette habits help too. Tipping 15 to 20 percent at restaurants is expected. On BART and Muni, give up your seat for elderly, disabled, or pregnant riders, keep your voice down, and stand on the right side of escalators so others can pass on the left.

Schools work differently than you expect

If you have children, know that San Francisco public schools do not assign students purely by home address. The San Francisco Unified School District uses a choice-based system, widely known as “the lottery,” in which families rank schools across the district and placement comes down to a mix of preferences, tiebreakers, and luck. The district approved a move to a zone-based, neighborhood-oriented system back in 2020, but it has been repeatedly delayed and is not in effect, with no firm start date. Because the policy is in flux, verify the current process directly with SFUSD when you enroll.

A note on the challenges

San Francisco is not without its problems, and it is fair to know them going in. The cost of living is steep, and like many large cities it has a visible homelessness crisis that is impossible to miss in parts of downtown. None of that cancels out what draws people here, but it is worth setting realistic expectations rather than arriving surprised.

Settling in and making friends

San Francisco skews young, educated, and professional, with a tech and startup scene that runs on networking and a strong arts community alongside it. That makes it a relatively easy place to build a circle if you put yourself out there. Join a club, a class, a hiking group, or a meetup around something you care about, since the city has one for nearly every interest. Show up to local happenings, from the costumed chaos of the Bay to Breakers race in May to the North Beach Festival in June and the Mission’s Carnaval, and lean on community centers and expat and newcomer groups. The people who thrive here treat building a social life as something to work at, not wait for.

Getting your move to San Francisco right

San Francisco is genuinely one of the harder cities to move in, and the reasons are physical: steep hills, narrow Victorian and Edwardian homes with tight staircases, scarce parking that often needs a city permit, and buildings with strict elevator and move-in windows. The right crew plans for all of it before the day.

Royal Moving & Storage covers San Francisco and the wider Bay Area from our San Francisco base, with local crews who handle the hills, the permits, and the building rules so your move stays on schedule. If you want to know what it will run, our guide on how much movers cost in San Francisco breaks it down by home size. When you are ready, request a free quote built around your specific neighborhood.

Frequently asked questions

Is San Francisco expensive to live in?

Yes. San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the United States, driven mainly by housing. Rent, home prices, food, and utilities all run above the national average. Budget around housing first, and consider the more affordable areas across the bay and down the Peninsula if the city itself is out of reach.

Do you need a car in San Francisco?

Not necessarily. San Francisco is walkable and has two transit systems, BART and Muni, plus strong biking options and ride-hailing. Many residents go car-free in town. A car is mainly useful for trips outside the city, like wine country or Tahoe, but parking within San Francisco is scarce and expensive.

What is the weather like in San Francisco?

Mild and fairly steady, usually 50 to 70 degrees year-round, but defined by fog and microclimates. The weather can change from block to block, and summer fog can make a warm day feel cold. Dress in layers and keep a light jacket handy no matter the season.

Is it OK to call it “San Fran”?

Locals generally do not. Residents say San Francisco, SF, or “The City.” Using “San Fran” tends to mark you as a visitor, so it is an easy habit to adopt early if you want to fit in.

How do San Francisco public schools assign students?

The San Francisco Unified School District uses a choice-based assignment system, often called “the lottery,” rather than assigning by home address. Families rank schools and placement depends on preferences, tiebreakers, and luck. A zone-based system was approved in 2020 but has been repeatedly delayed, so confirm the current process with SFUSD when you enroll.

How long do I have to get a California driver license after moving?

New California residents have 10 days to apply for a California driver license and 20 days to register an out-of-state vehicle. Most out-of-state cars also need a smog check and a VIN verification, so book a DMV appointment soon after you arrive.