City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Costa Mesa | Sacramento | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,268/mo | $1,592/mo | 42.5% higher in A |
| Median home value | $959,800 | $450,500 | 113.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $104,981 | $78,954 | 33.0% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 112.0 | 105.6 | 6.0% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 137.8 | 127.6 | 8.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 120.8 | 107.8 | 12.1% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 125.9 | 108.2 | 16.3% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Costa Mesa, you'd need $80,005 in Sacramento to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sacramento, CA is about 20% cheaper overall than Costa Mesa, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 30% lower in Sacramento than in Costa Mesa. If you earn $80,000 in Costa Mesa, you'd need about $64,004 in Sacramento to keep the same standard of living.