San Francisco has a reputation as an expensive city, and hotels in particular cost a lot. Many of the best things to do here are free, though, transit is cheap if you use it well, and some of the city’s best food comes from taquerias and dim sum counters. The tips below can cut the cost of a trip a great deal without skipping the famous sights.
In this guide
This guide is part of our San Francisco visitors guide.
Budget basics
- Muni ride $2.85 with a card, phone or Clipper, good for 120 minutes
- Muni day pass $5.70, buses and streetcars only
- Kids on Muni Free for ages 18 and under, cable cars excepted
- BART from SFO About $11.80 to downtown
- Free every day Golden Gate Bridge walk, Lands End, Golden Gate Park, the sea lions at Pier 39
- Cheapest season January and February, outside holiday weekends
Save on getting around
Skip the rental car. Parking downtown is expensive, many hotels charge for it and car break-ins are common. Muni and BART reach almost everything a visitor wants to see.
- A single Muni ride is $2.85 when you tap a contactless card, a phone or a Clipper card. The fare is good for 120 minutes, so a quick transfer to a second bus costs nothing more.
- The Muni day pass is $5.70 and covers buses, Muni Metro and the historic streetcars. It does not cover cable cars.
- Riders 18 and under ride free on regular Muni service.
- From SFO, BART is about $11.80 to downtown and takes around 30 minutes. A rideshare costs several times as much.
- Muni fares rise on January 4, 2027, when a single ride with a card becomes $3.00 and a cable car ride becomes $12.
The F streetcar along the Embarcadero is a cheap alternative to a bay sightseeing tour for getting between the Ferry Building and Fisherman’s Wharf. One cable car ride is worth doing once, but walk or take the bus the rest of the time.
Free things to do
Walking the Golden Gate Bridge costs nothing. Neither do Lands End, Crissy Field, Ocean Beach, Twin Peaks or Golden Gate Park. You can watch the sea lions at Pier 39, look at the murals in the Mission, browse the Ferry Building and ride the elevator for free to the observation level of the de Young tower. Our list of free things to do in San Francisco has many more ideas.
Free and cheap museum days
Several major museums offer free admission on certain days. The de Young and the Legion of Honor are free on the first Tuesday of the month and on Saturdays for Bay Area residents. The Asian Art Museum is free on the first Sunday. SFMOMA is free for visitors 18 and under, and the galleries at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts are free on Wednesdays. See free museum days in San Francisco for the current schedule.
If you plan to visit several paid attractions, the CityPASS can save money. Our guide to whether CityPASS is worth it runs the numbers.
Eat well for less
- Mission burritos are filling and cost far less than a sit-down meal. Most taquerias along Mission Street and 24th Street are casual counter service.
- Dim sum in Chinatown and the Richmond is one of the best value meals in the city, especially at lunchtime.
- Picnic at the Ferry Building or a neighborhood market, then eat in Dolores Park, Crissy Field or Golden Gate Park.
- Fisherman’s Wharf restaurants charge more for location. Walk a few blocks inland to North Beach for better prices.
See our best restaurants in San Francisco guide for more.
Cut the hotel bill
Hotel rates swing a lot by season and by what is happening in town. Large conventions at Moscone Center and festival weekends like Pride, Outside Lands and Fleet Week push prices up. January and February are usually the cheapest months. Sunday nights are often cheaper than Friday and Saturday.
Staying outside the center can help too. Neighborhoods near a BART or Muni Metro line, or even Oakland and Berkeley across the bay, often cost less, and BART gets you downtown quickly. See where to stay in San Francisco for areas.
Other ways to save
- Book Alcatraz directly through Alcatraz City Cruises, the only official ferry operator, to avoid resellers’ markups.
- San Francisco tap water is safe to drink. Carry a refillable bottle.
- Many bars have happy hours on weekday afternoons.
- Check the events calendar for free festivals and concerts, especially in summer and fall.
Official resources: SFMTA fares, BART, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a day in San Francisco cost on a budget?
Leaving out the hotel, a day pass, free sights and taqueria or dim sum meals keep daily costs low. A cable car ride and paid attractions are the biggest extras.
Is the Muni day pass worth it?
It breaks even at two rides, since it costs $5.70 and a single ride is $2.85. Keep in mind that one fare already covers transfers for 120 minutes. It does not cover cable cars.
What is the cheapest month to visit San Francisco?
January and February usually have the lowest hotel rates, apart from holiday weekends and big conventions.
Photo credits
Featured image: Frank Schulenburg / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Free things to do: Christoph Strässler / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0; Eat well for less: BaduFerreira / Wikimedia Commons, CC0.