Cost of Living: Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz, CA versus $3,974/mo in Sacramento, CA. In the model, rent is about 33.55% of gross in Santa Cruz, CA versus 24.69% in Sacramento, CA, so Sacramento, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Santa Cruz, CA and Sacramento, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Santa Cruz, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Sacramento, CA
- Lower home prices: Sacramento, CA
- Higher median household income: Santa Cruz, CA
Cost of Living Index
Santa Cruz, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Sacramento, CA: 118.2 (U.S. = 100)
Santa Cruz, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than Sacramento, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Santa Cruz, CA: $2,187/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Sacramento, CA: $1,610/mo
Median rent in Santa Cruz, CA is $577/mo higher than in Sacramento, CA.
Median Home Price
Santa Cruz, CA: $1,180,100 · Sacramento, CA: $484,600
Median home price in Santa Cruz, CA is $695,500 higher than in Sacramento, CA.
Median Household Income
Santa Cruz, CA: $111,427 · Sacramento, CA: $83,753
Santa Cruz, CA has a higher median household income than Sacramento, CA by $27,674.
Santa Cruz, CA overview · Sacramento, CA overview · Popular comparisons