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

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in San Marcos, CA versus $3,974/mo in Sacramento, CA. In the model, rent is about 31.92% of gross in San Marcos, CA versus 24.69% in Sacramento, CA, so Sacramento, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in San Marcos, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Sacramento, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in San Marcos, CA
31.92%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Sacramento, CA
24.69%
COLI tier: higher-cost

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

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

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

Median Rent

San Marcos, CA: $2,082/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Sacramento, CA: $1,610/mo

Median rent in San Marcos, CA is $472/mo higher than in Sacramento, CA.

Median Home Price

San Marcos, CA: $792,400 · Sacramento, CA: $484,600

Median home price in San Marcos, CA is $307,800 higher than in Sacramento, CA.

Median Household Income

San Marcos, CA: $105,286 · Sacramento, CA: $83,753

San Marcos, CA has a higher median household income than Sacramento, CA by $21,533.

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