Cost of Living: Sacramento, CA vs San Mateo, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Sacramento, CA versus $3,974/mo in San Mateo, CA. In the model, rent is about 24.69% of gross in Sacramento, CA versus 44.86% in San Mateo, CA, so Sacramento, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Sacramento, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in San Mateo, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Sacramento, CA
24.69%
COLI tier: higher-cost
Rent share (1BR) in San Mateo, CA
44.86%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Sacramento, CA and San Mateo, CA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Sacramento, CA: 118.2 (U.S. = 100) · San Mateo, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100)

San Mateo, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than Sacramento, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Sacramento, CA: $1,610/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Mateo, CA: $2,925/mo

Median rent in San Mateo, CA is $1,315/mo higher than in Sacramento, CA.

Median Home Price

Sacramento, CA: $484,600 · San Mateo, CA: $1,563,200

Median home price in San Mateo, CA is $1,078,600 higher than in Sacramento, CA.

Median Household Income

Sacramento, CA: $83,753 · San Mateo, CA: $152,669

San Mateo, CA has a higher median household income than Sacramento, CA by $68,916.

Sacramento, CA overview · San Mateo, CA overview · Popular comparisons