Example household · $83,730 · same pay · 1 adult

Tioga Hotel - Merced California

Merced

Cost of Living in Merced, CA (2026): Rent, Utilities & Take-Home

$1,844 left/mo

Photo: Publichall / Wikimedia

$3,483/mo in Merced. $1,844 left each month. Prices near the US average.

Monthly costs

Take-home $5,327/mo.

  • Taxes$1,651
  • Rent$1,271
  • Other$2,212
  • Left$1,844

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay
$83,730
Federal income tax
−$9,591
Social Security and Medicare
−$6,405
State income tax (CA)
−$3,814
Take-home pay
$63,920
Effective tax rate
23.7%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br
$1,271
Groceries
$433
Getting around
$642
Healthcare
$487
Utilities and internet
$271
Everything else
$379
Total spending
$3,483

After tax and rent

$1,844 left/mo

Stats

Rent
$1,513
2 bd median
Take-home
$5,327
Per month
Tax
24%
Of pay
Prices
8% above
US, besides rent

Average electric bill in California

About $282 a month for a household using 900 kWh. That is the EIA residential price for California in 2025, 31.35¢ per kWh. It is a state average, not a Merced utility bill, and the utilities line in the monthly costs above already includes a modelled power cost.

Moving from Merced

Take-home by job in Merced

Pay and leftover for every job in Merced

Other California metros

All California metros

Compare Merced

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