

San Francisco vs Stockton
$716/mo less in Stockton
San FranciscoStocktonAbout 56 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Stockton costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 251 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $1,638/mo in Stockton. $2,354/mo in San Francisco. −$8,592 a year.
San Francisco
$2,354
left each month
Stockton
$1,638
−$716 vs San Francisco
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 4,705 households moved San Francisco → Stockton (avg AGI $100,350). 2,754 went the other way. The whole move →
−$716 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | San Francisco | Stockton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $10,458 | $7,368 | −$3,091 |
| Income and payroll tax | $3,056 | $1,840 | −$1,216 |
| Take-home pay | $7,403 | $5,528 | −$1,875 |
| Rent | $2,635 | $1,674 | −$961 |
| Getting around | $558 | $646 | +$88 |
| Groceries | $512 | $433 | −$79 |
| Healthcare | $576 | $487 | −$89 |
| Utilities | $320 | $271 | −$49 |
| Everything else | $448 | $379 | −$69 |
| Left over | $2,354 | $1,638 | −$716 |
Salary to match San Francisco
$102,500
Gross pay in Stockton that leaves the same amount as $125,500 in San Francisco.
Tax difference
+$3,449
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 29.2% in San Francisco, 25.0% in Stockton.
More about Stockton
San Francisco, CA in full
Dense, walkable, cold in July, and priced for two incomes.
Stockton, CA in full
State income tax topping out at 12.3%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,993 and 251 sunny days; commutes average 35 minutes.
The other way
Start in Stockton.
Stockton → San Francisco →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Stockton than San Francisco?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Stockton leaves about $716 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $2,635 in San Francisco and $1,674 in Stockton.
Does Stockton have state income tax?
Stockton is in California, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from San Francisco to Stockton?
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 Stockton 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.