

Chico vs Sacramento
$461/mo more in Sacramento
ChicoSacramentoAbout 68 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Sacramento leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 265 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,119/mo in Sacramento. $1,658/mo in Chico. +$5,532 a year.
Chico
$1,658
left each month
Sacramento
$2,119
+$461 vs Chico
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 543 households moved Chico → Sacramento (avg AGI $60,985). 669 went the other way. The whole move →
+$461 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Chico | Sacramento | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,500 | $8,008 | +$1,508 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,502 | $2,089 | +$587 |
| Take-home pay | $4,998 | $5,919 | +$921 |
| Rent | $1,174 | $1,663 | +$489 |
| Getting around | $596 | $600 | +$4 |
| Groceries | $433 | $424 | −$9 |
| Healthcare | $487 | $477 | −$10 |
| Utilities | $271 | $265 | −$6 |
| Everything else | $379 | $371 | −$8 |
| Left over | $1,658 | $2,119 | +$461 |
Salary to match Chico
$87,000
Gross pay in Sacramento that leaves the same amount as $78,000 in Chico.
Tax difference
−$1,683
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.1% in Chico, 26.1% in Sacramento.
More about Sacramento
Chico, CA in full
State income tax topping out at 12.3%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,398 and 233 sunny days; commutes average 21 minutes.
Sacramento, CA in full
Bay Area access at two-thirds the rent, with California's tax bill intact.
The other way
Start in Sacramento.
Sacramento → Chico →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Sacramento than Chico?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Sacramento leaves about $461 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,174 in Chico and $1,663 in Sacramento.
Does Sacramento have state income tax?
Sacramento is in California, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Chico to Sacramento?
The paycheck is taxed in California. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Chico and Sacramento changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.