🌍 Nomad Watch The Nomad Research Database
guest Login
📋 visas 🛂 passports 🏛 embassies 💰 taxes
🔥 hubs 💼 jobs 📅 events 👥 groups 💬 forum
🔧 tools 🌤 best time 📈 studio
🔍 SEARCH
🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
📊 SITE STATS
Cities:0
Countries:0
Avg Score:0.0
Avg Cost:$0/mo
ESSENTIALS
Topic Details
🏙️ City San Francisco, California, United States
👥 Population 808,000 (City), 4.7 million (Bay Area)
💻 Internet Speed Avg 150-500 Mbps; Fiber available via Sonic or Google Fiber
💸 Currency & Banking USD ($); 1 EUR ≈ 1.08 USD
🚰 Tap Water Drinkable, high-quality Hetch Hetchy reservoir water
🔌 Power 120V, 60Hz, 🔌 Type A/B sockets
📶 SIM Card T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon (eSIM via Airalo or Holafly recommended)
💳 Banking for Expats Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Revolut (US version)
🛌 Accommodation Zillow, Furnished Finder, Blueground, Landing
💳 Cashless Friendly Yes, almost entirely cashless; Apple Pay widely accepted
🏠 Short Term Rentals Airbnb, Sonder, Zeus Living ($3,500 - $6,000/month)
🛏️ Budget Accommodation HI San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf, Green Tortoise Hostel (~$45-60/night)
🏙️ Best Area to Stay for Tourists Union Square, Fisherman's Wharf, North Beach
🏙️ Best Area to Stay for Digital Nomads Hayes Valley, The Mission, Noe Valley, Marina District
WORKING AND NETWORKING
Topic Details
🏢 Best Coworking Space WeWork (600 California St), Workshop Cafe (SoMa) - $35/day
☕ Best Cafe for Work The Interval at Long Now (Fort Mason), Sightglass Coffee (7th St)
💼 Networking Events SF New Tech, Commonwealth Club, TechCrunch Disrupt events
🥂 Social Events for Expats Internations San Francisco, SF Digital Nomads Meetup Group
TRANSPORTATION
Topic Details
🚕 Best Taxi/Ride App Uber, Lyft, Waymo (Autonomous taxis)
🚲 Bike/Scooter Rental Bay Wheels (Lyft-operated), Lime, Spin
🏖️ Best Beach Nearby Ocean Beach (West side), Baker Beach (View of Golden Gate)
✈️ Top Regional Airline Southwest Airlines (OAK/SFO), Alaska Airlines
✈️ Top International Airline United Airlines (SFO Hub)
🛣️ Highway Access US-101, I-80 (Bay Bridge), I-280
🚉 Main Train/Transit Hub Salesforce Transit Center, Powell St Station (BART/Muni)
🚍 Public Transport Passes Clipper Card; $2.50 per ride; $81 Monthly Muni Pass
✈️ Regional Travel BART (East Bay), Caltrain (Silicon Valley/San Jose), Ferries (Sausalito)
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Topic Details
🏥 Best Hospital UCSF Medical Center (Parnassus Heights), SF General Hospital
🧘 Yoga & Wellness Centers Yoga Tree (multiple locations), Love Story Yoga (Mission)
🏋️ Gyms & Fitness Centers Equinox (Market St), Fitness SF (Castro), Barry's Bootcamp
🧺 Laundry Services Laundryheap (Delivery), Rinse, various local laundromats (~$4/load)
FOOD AND DRINK
Topic Details
📱 Best Food Delivery App DoorDash (SF-headquartered), UberEats, Grubhub
🍽️ Best Local Dish to Try Mission Burrito (La Taqueria), Dungeness Crab, Sourdough Bread
🍱 Vegan/Vegetarian Options Wildseed (Cow Hollow), Shizen (Vegan Sushi, Mission)
🍫 Best Dessert Spots Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience, Bi-Rite Creamery (Ice Cream)
🛒 Affordable Shopping Spots Trader Joe's (Masonic Ave), Grocery Outlet (Bargain Market)
🛒 E-commerce/Online Store Amazon (Same-day delivery), eBay
🛒 Grocery Delivery Instacart, Amazon Fresh, Safeway.com
🍸 Bar/Nightlife Area Polk Street, Mission District (Valencia St), The Castro
🍻 Local Brewery Anchor Brewing (reopened), 21st Amendment Brewery (SoMa)
🍷 Wine Bars Press Club (Yerba Buena), High Treason (Richmond)
🍲 Street Food Stalls Off the Grid (Fort Mason), Ferry Building Marketplace
🍕 Popular International Cuisine Mister Jiu's (Chinese), State Bird Provisions (American/Dim Sum style)
CULTURE AND ATTRACTIONS
Topic Details
🎟️ Must-See Landmarks Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Painted Ladies
🏛️ Museums & Art Venues SFMOMA, De Young Museum, California Academy of Sciences
🏰 Historical Sites The Presidio, Mission Dolores (Oldest building in SF)
🕍 Religious Sites Grace Cathedral (Nob Hill), Saints Peter and Paul Church
🎉 Annual Events SF Pride (June), Outside Lands Music Festival (August)
🎨 Cultural Districts Chinatown (Oldest in US), Haight-Ashbury (Hippie history)
🎭 Theater Venues Orpheum Theatre, Curran Theatre, SF Jazz Center
🛍️ Local Markets Ferry Plaza Farmers Market (Sat/Tue/Thu)
🎼 Music Scene The Fillmore, The Independent, Rickshaw Stop
🎨 Street Art Clarion Alley Murals (Mission), Balmy Alley
🧑‍🍳 Cooking Classes San Francisco Cooking School, The Civic Kitchen
👩‍🎨 Art Galleries Minnesota Street Project (Dogpatch), Gagosian
🕰️ Historic Buildings Coit Tower, Ferry Building, Palace of Fine Arts
🏴 Local Heritage LGBTQ+ Rights (Harvey Milk), The 1960s Counter-culture
NATURE AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Topic Details
🌅 Nearby Nature Escapes Muir Woods National Monument (Redwoods, 40 mins away)
🏞️ National Parks Nearby Yosemite National Park (4 hours drive), Pinnacles (2.5 hours)
🚲 Cycling/Walking Paths Golden Gate Park Loop, The Embarcadero Waterfront
🌄 Scenic Viewpoints Twin Peaks, Hawk Hill (Marin Headlands), Mount Davidson
🦉 Birdwatching Locations Crissy Field Marsh, Lake Merced
🔥 Bonfire-Friendly Spots Ocean Beach (Permitted pits only, Stairwells 15-20)
OTHER SERVICES AND AMENITIES
Topic Details
📦 Parcel Delivery Service FedEx (Market St), UPS Store, USPS Post Offices
🛠️ Tech Repair Services Apple Union Square, Central Computer (SoMa)
🏓 Table Tennis Spots SPIN San Francisco (SoMa)
🧑‍🏫 Language Classes City College of San Francisco (ESL), Alliance Française
📚 Libraries & Study Spots SF Public Library (Main Branch), Mechanics' Institute
🏘️ Community Centers Jewish Community Center (JCCSF), LGBT Center
🕹️ Gaming Lounges The Foundry (SoMa), Free Gold Watch (Arcade)
🎰 Casino & Gaming Halls Lucky Chances (Colma), Graton Resort (Rohnert Park)
BUSINESS
Topic Details
🏢 Studio Purchase Price (City Center) Approx. $11,500 per m² (e.g., 40 m² [~430 sqft] = $460,000)
🏢 Studio Purchase Price (Outside City) Approx. $8,500 per m² (e.g., 40 m² = $340,000 in outer suburbs)
🏠 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center) Approx. $10,800 per m² (e.g., 60 m² = $648,000)
🏠 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City) Approx. $7,800 per m² (e.g., 60 m² = $468,000)
🏡 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center) Approx. $10,200 per m² (e.g., 80 m² = $816,000)
🏡 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City) Approx. $7,200 per m² (e.g., 80 m² = $576,000)
💼 Corporate Tax 21% Federal + 8.84% California State Corporate Tax
💵 Dividend Withholding Tax 0% for US citizens; 30% for non-resident aliens (varies by treaty)
🏦 Tax System Worldwide income basis for citizens/residents
📈 Highest Income Tax Bracket 37% Federal + 13.3% California (Total up to 50.3%)
🧾 VAT No VAT; Sales tax is 8.625% in San Francisco
🌐 Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) Rules Yes, strict Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI) rules
🏠 Property Tax Approx. 1.2% of assessed value per year
🏠 Property Transaction Tax Transfer tax ranges from 0.5% to 6% based on sale price
💻 Attractive Tax System for Digital Nomads No specific nomad visa/tax break; high tax burden compared to other states