Living in the Bay Area has long been viewed as a pricey proposition. Hello, $16 cup of fancy Yemeni coffee from Blue Bottle.

So it may surprise you to know that we actually spend less on food, despite our reputation as a foodie mecca, than two other major western cities, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average Bay Area resident’s expenditures on food — at $8,918 a year — than those in San Diego ($9,984) or Seattle ($10,958). And that’s true for eating at home and eating out.

Maybe that’s because we spend so much on housing. The San Francisco area, which includes Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties, topped the list of eight western areas in average annual expenditure on housing costs, at $32,656 a year. That’s more than residents of Los Angeles ($24,331), Seattle ($26,965) and San Diego (28,595), according to the bureau’s latest Consumer Expenditure Surveys released last month.

The research represents spending habits for 2016-17, the most recent period studied. Average annual expenditures for food in the Bay Area were the fourth highest among the western cities in the report, topping Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver and Anchorage.

If you are curious to see how your spending stacks up with your neighbors in terms of groceries, here’s the lowdown on what the average Bay Area household spends.

Bay Area residents fork out about $743 per month on food they eat at home, according to the Bureau of Labor statistics report. Eating out has become a form of entertainment for many of us, but the tab for food eaten away from home — restaurants, coffee, delis — is only $369 per month.

But what about drink? This area has its share of corkheads who know their Riesling from their rosé but the average resident spends about $73 per month on wine, beer and liquor.

Related Articles California’s quality of life is the worst in the country: Says who?

Bay Area residents don’t change their underwear every day? Says who?

Here’s how bad inflation is in the Bay Area On a monthly basis, we spend almost as much on fruits and vegetables ($81) as we do on meat, poultry, fish and eggs ($85). At least we have a balanced diet.

Of course, the fact that residents of other cities average more spending on food and drink is a cause for comfort. Perhaps we should eat out to celebrate?