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 | Ontario | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,197/mo | $1,826/mo | 34.4% lower in A |
| Median home value | $322,600 | $513,000 | 37.1% lower in A |
| Median household income | $59,233 | $78,070 | 24.1% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 91.7 | 13.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 89.6 | 39.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 99.5 | 5.2% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 108.7 | 4.2% lower 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 $152,553 in Ontario to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Merced, CA is about 34.4% cheaper overall than Ontario, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 34% lower in Merced than in Ontario. If you earn $80,000 in Merced, you'd need about $122,042 in Ontario to keep the same standard of living.