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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Tioga Hotel - Merced California
Publichall. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo source · License
Modesto
Don Ramey Logan. CC BY 4.0. Photo source · License

Merced vs Modesto

$117/mo more in Modesto

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
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MercedModestoAbout 30 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Modesto leaves you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • 252 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $1,683/mo in Modesto. $1,566/mo in Merced. +$1,404 a year.

Merced

$1,566

left each month

Modesto

$1,683

+$117 vs Merced

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Modesto wins 2 of 4Merced 2 · ties 0
$5,049Take-home · Modesto$5,387
$1,271Rent · Merced$1,463
$2,212Other bills · Merced$2,241
$1,566Left over · Modesto$1,683

Next

In 2022-2023, 1,110 households moved Merced → Modesto (avg AGI $57,637). 972 went the other way. The whole move →

+$117 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthMercedModesto
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Modesto · this breakdownMerced · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Merced, CA and Modesto, CA
Per monthMercedModestoDifference
Gross pay$6,583$7,137+$553
Income and payroll tax$1,534$1,750+$215
Take-home pay$5,049$5,387+$338
Rent$1,271$1,463+$192
Getting around$642$670+$28
Groceries$433$433$0
Healthcare$487$487$0
Utilities$271$271$0
Everything else$379$379$0
Left over$1,566$1,683+$117

Salary to match Merced

$83,500

Gross pay in Modesto that leaves the same amount as $79,000 in Merced.

Tax difference

−$617

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 23.3% in Merced, 24.5% in Modesto.

More about Modesto

Merced, CA in full

State income tax topping out at 12.3%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,513 and 255 sunny days; commutes average 31 minutes.

Modesto, CA in full

State income tax topping out at 12.3%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,742 and 252 sunny days; commutes average 31 minutes.

The other way

Start in Modesto.

Modesto → Merced →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Modesto than Merced?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Modesto leaves about $117 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,271 in Merced and $1,463 in Modesto.

Does Modesto have state income tax?

Modesto is in California, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Merced to Modesto?

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 Merced and Modesto 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.