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 | Santa Rosa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,197/mo | $2,024/mo | 40.9% lower in A |
| Median home value | $322,600 | $661,700 | 51.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $59,233 | $92,604 | 36.0% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 125.1 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 104.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
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 $169,089 in Santa Rosa to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Merced, CA is about 40.9% cheaper overall than Santa Rosa, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 41% lower in Merced than in Santa Rosa. If you earn $80,000 in Merced, you'd need about $135,271 in Santa Rosa to keep the same standard of living.