Cost of Living: Oakland, CA vs Santa Rosa, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Oakland, CA versus $3,974/mo in Santa Rosa, CA. In the model, rent is about 27.93% of gross in Oakland, CA versus 30.36% in Santa Rosa, CA, so Oakland, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Oakland, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Santa Rosa, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Oakland, CA
27.93%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Santa Rosa, CA
30.36%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Oakland, CA and Santa Rosa, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Santa Rosa, CA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Oakland, CA
  • Lower home prices: Santa Rosa, CA
  • Higher median household income: Santa Rosa, CA

Cost of Living Index

Oakland, CA: 165.2 (U.S. = 100) · Santa Rosa, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100)

Santa Rosa, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than Oakland, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Oakland, CA: $1,821/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Santa Rosa, CA: $1,980/mo

Median rent in Santa Rosa, CA is $159/mo higher than in Oakland, CA.

Median Home Price

Oakland, CA: $924,700 · Santa Rosa, CA: $685,000

Median home price in Oakland, CA is $239,700 higher than in Santa Rosa, CA.

Median Household Income

Oakland, CA: $97,369 · Santa Rosa, CA: $97,410

Santa Rosa, CA has a higher median household income than Oakland, CA by $41.

Oakland, CA overview · Santa Rosa, CA overview · Popular comparisons