San Francisco Cost of Living and Visa Fees

The Cost of Living (CoL) in San Francisco is amongst the highest in the nation. In addition to one’s salary, international students and scholars should ensure that extra financial resources, such as savings accounts, are readily available for unanticipated expenses.

UCSF’s Student Financial Services (SFS) estimates the cost of living in San Francisco for a single adult as follows:

MONTHLY COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE 2023-2024*

Food

$633

Shared Housing (plus utilities)**

$1950

Transportation

$174

Personal/Miscellaneous

$363

TOTAL

$3,120

*By 07/2024, ISSO will raise J-1 exchange visitors’ CoL to meet UCSF SFS’ CoL

**Housing allowance assumes shared accommodations (living with another person in the same apartment). Individual housing may range between $2,100+ per month for a studio apartment to $2800-3500 per month for a one-bedroom apartment.

Visa Application Fees

The following fees are typically paid by the exchange visitor as part of the visa application process:

  1. I-901 Student and Exchange Visitor (SEVIS) Fee
  2. Nonimmigrant Visa Application (NIV) Processing Fee

UCSF Fees

Based on your UCSF title, percent time and appointment length, you may be responsible for paying additional fees. Check with your host department to determine which fees may be applicable to you.

  1. The UCSF visa recharge fee may apply to visiting student and scholars appointments.
  2. UCSF health insurance fees: Ask your UCSF Human Resources representative if you are eligible for UCSF health insurance and the estimated monthly insurance costs. If not eligible for UCSF health insurance, and you are not an APM 430 visiting student in the US for over 3 months, you are responsible for independently paying for your entire health insurance fees, including coverage for each J-2 dependent.