Cost of Living: Sunnyvale, 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 Sunnyvale, CA versus $3,974/mo in Sacramento, CA. In the model, rent is about 44.66% of gross in Sunnyvale, CA versus 24.69% in Sacramento, CA, so Sacramento, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Sunnyvale, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Sacramento, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Sunnyvale, CA
44.66%
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 Sunnyvale, CA and Sacramento, CA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

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

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

Median Rent

Sunnyvale, CA: $2,912/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Sacramento, CA: $1,610/mo

Median rent in Sunnyvale, CA is $1,302/mo higher than in Sacramento, CA.

Median Home Price

Sunnyvale, CA: $1,816,600 · Sacramento, CA: $484,600

Median home price in Sunnyvale, CA is $1,332,000 higher than in Sacramento, CA.

Median Household Income

Sunnyvale, CA: $181,862 · Sacramento, CA: $83,753

Sunnyvale, CA has a higher median household income than Sacramento, CA by $98,109.

Sunnyvale, CA overview · Sacramento, CA overview · Popular comparisons