

San Francisco vs Santa Rosa
$632/mo less in Santa Rosa
San FranciscoSanta RosaAbout 62 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Santa Rosa costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 244 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $1,722/mo in Santa Rosa. $2,354/mo in San Francisco. −$7,584 a year.
San Francisco
$2,354
left each month
Santa Rosa
$1,722
−$632 vs San Francisco
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 2,913 households moved San Francisco → Santa Rosa (avg AGI $161,460). 1,753 went the other way. The whole move →
−$632 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | San Francisco | Santa Rosa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $10,458 | $8,086 | −$2,373 |
| Income and payroll tax | $3,056 | $2,119 | −$936 |
| Take-home pay | $7,403 | $5,966 | −$1,437 |
| Rent | $2,635 | $2,100 | −$535 |
| Getting around | $558 | $574 | +$16 |
| Groceries | $512 | $433 | −$79 |
| Healthcare | $576 | $487 | −$89 |
| Utilities | $320 | $271 | −$49 |
| Everything else | $448 | $379 | −$69 |
| Left over | $2,354 | $1,722 | −$632 |
Salary to match San Francisco
$109,500
Gross pay in Santa Rosa that leaves the same amount as $125,500 in San Francisco.
Tax difference
+$2,648
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 29.2% in San Francisco, 26.2% in Santa Rosa.
More about Santa Rosa
San Francisco, CA in full
Dense, walkable, cold in July, and priced for two incomes.
Santa Rosa, CA in full
State income tax topping out at 12.3%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $2,500 and 244 sunny days; commutes average 25 minutes.
The other way
Start in Santa Rosa.
Santa Rosa → San Francisco →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Santa Rosa than San Francisco?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Santa Rosa leaves about $632 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $2,635 in San Francisco and $2,100 in Santa Rosa.
Does Santa Rosa have state income tax?
Santa Rosa is in California, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from San Francisco to Santa Rosa?
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 Rosa 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.