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 | San Bernardino | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,197/mo | $1,319/mo | 9.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $322,600 | $347,100 | 7.1% lower in A |
| Median household income | $59,233 | $61,323 | 3.4% 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 $110,191 in San Bernardino to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Merced, CA is about 9.2% cheaper overall than San Bernardino, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 9% lower in Merced than in San Bernardino. If you earn $80,000 in Merced, you'd need about $88,153 in San Bernardino to keep the same standard of living.