Here’s a quick SF cut (single renter, bare-bones basket):
Basket (monthly):
1-BR rent ≈ $3,515 (citywide avg)
Utilities (basic) ≈ $233
Groceries (minimum for one) ≈ $585
Transit pass (Muni) $86 — or $104 with BART-within-SF
Total: ≈ $4,350–$4,420/mo.
Hours to cover basics (price ÷ wage):
Using BLS mean gross pay ($48.15/hr for SF-Oakland MSA): ~90–92 hours. Net would be higher.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Using a net pay anchor (Numbeo avg take-home ≈ $7,057/mo ⇒ ~$40.7/hr): ~106–109 hours.
If you rent outside the center (~$2,712), the basket drops to ~$3,616 ⇒ ~75–92 hours (gross vs net).
Numbeo
Want to spin a US cities edition? We can replicate this with a fixed basket (1-BR rent, basic utilities, minimum groceries, local monthly transit) and city-level wage anchors (BLS + net adjustments). Start with SF, NYC, LA, Seattle, Austin, Miami, Chicago, Boston, DC, Denver, and expand.