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 | Merced | Oakland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,197/mo | $1,849/mo | 35.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $322,600 | $883,800 | 63.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $59,233 | $94,389 | 37.2% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 58.2 | 78.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 62.4 | 100.5% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 59.8 | 74.9% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 38.9 | 167.5% 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 Merced, you'd need $154,470 in Oakland to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Merced, CA is about 35.3% cheaper overall than Oakland, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 35% lower in Merced than in Oakland. If you earn $80,000 in Merced, you'd need about $123,576 in Oakland to keep the same standard of living.