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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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San Francisco skyline
Daniel L. Lu (user:dllu) Camera location 37° 49′ 39.52″ N, 122° 29′ 56.17″ W View this and other nearby images on: OpenStreetMap 37.827644; -122.498935. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License
Santa Cruz skyline
Michael from San Jose, California, USA. CC BY 2.0. Photo source · License

San Francisco vs Santa Cruz

$1,352/mo less in Santa Cruz

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
Less leftMore left

San FranciscoSanta CruzAbout 55 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Santa Cruz costs you more
  • Rent over 30% of pay
  • 247 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $1,002/mo in Santa Cruz. $2,354/mo in San Francisco. −$16,224 a year.

San Francisco

$2,354

left each month

Santa Cruz

$1,002

−$1,352 vs San Francisco

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Santa Cruz wins 1 of 4San Francisco 3 · ties 0
$7,403Take-home · San Francisco$5,699
$2,635Rent · San Francisco$2,638
$2,414Other bills · Santa Cruz$2,059
$2,354Left over · San Francisco$1,002

Next

In 2022-2023, 776 households moved San Francisco → Santa Cruz (avg AGI $175,231). 782 went the other way. The whole move →

−$1,352 / 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 monthSan FranciscoSanta Cruz
Less leftMore left
Santa Cruz · this breakdownSan Francisco · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between San Francisco, CA and Santa Cruz, CA
Per monthSan FranciscoSanta CruzDifference
Gross pay$10,458$7,649−$2,810
Income and payroll tax$3,056$1,949−$1,106
Take-home pay$7,403$5,699−$1,703
Rent$2,635$2,638+$3
Getting around$558$489−$69
Groceries$512$433−$79
Healthcare$576$487−$89
Utilities$320$271−$49
Everything else$448$379−$69
Left over$2,354$1,002−$1,352

Salary to match San Francisco

$118,500

Gross pay in Santa Cruz that leaves the same amount as $125,500 in San Francisco.

Tax difference

+$3,136

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 29.2% in San Francisco, 25.5% in Santa Cruz.

More about Santa Cruz

San Francisco, CA in full

Dense, walkable, cold in July, and priced for two incomes.

Santa Cruz, CA in full

State income tax topping out at 12.3%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $3,141 and 247 sunny days; commutes average 27 minutes.

The other way

Start in Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz → San Francisco →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Santa Cruz than San Francisco?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Santa Cruz leaves about $1,352 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $2,635 in San Francisco and $2,638 in Santa Cruz.

Does Santa Cruz have state income tax?

Santa Cruz is in California, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from San Francisco to Santa Cruz?

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 San Francisco and Santa Cruz 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.