Moving from San Francisco to Sacramento
A typical worker keeps $5,898 more a year in Sacramento than in San Francisco, after taxes, rent and everyday costs. To keep the same as a typical San Francisco salary of $74,260, you'd need about $51,700 in Sacramento.
What your job keeps in each city
Pick a job to compare local pay, or enter one salary to see what the move alone changes.
A typical worker keeps $5,898 more a year in Sacramento than in San Francisco.
- Typical salary
- $74,260
- Federal income tax
- −$7,507
- Payroll taxes
- −$6,646
- State income tax
- −$2,729
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$35,712
- Everyday costs
- −$21,384
a year, or $24 a month
- Typical salary
- $59,750
- Federal income tax
- −$4,990
- Payroll taxes
- −$5,348
- State income tax
- −$1,634
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$21,480
- Everyday costs
- −$20,118
a year, or $515 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS metro estimates. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules, single filer.
Change cities or job: compare any two cities or states at three pay levels.
At a glance
A typical worker in each city: where the money goes, pay, costs and price levels. The tables on this page have every figure.
Cost of living side by side
Monthly costs for one person. Green means the move saves money; red means it costs more.
| San Francisco | Sacramento | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (US = 100)7.7% cheaper | 115.6 | 106.7 |
| Rent, studio$785 less | $2,524 | $1,739 |
| Rent, 1-bedroom$1,186 less | $2,976 | $1,790 |
| Rent, 2-bedroom$1,442 less | $3,640 | $2,198 |
| Food$16 less | $535 | $519 |
| Transportation$13 less | $423 | $410 |
| Healthcare$21 less | $374 | $353 |
| Utilities$55 less | $449 | $394 |
| Monthly total, 1-bedroom$1,291 less | $4,758 | $3,467 |
Salaries
Median pay for the same job in each metro, and how the move changes what you keep: the typical worker and the 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA area. The calculator above has all 40.
| Job | San Francisco | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Typical worker$5,898 more | $74,260 | $59,750 |
| Registered nurse$6,618 more | $186,610 | $171,460 |
| Teacher$17,915 more | $99,553 | $103,598 |
| Electrician$4,699 more | $92,830 | $74,830 |
| Accountant$4,372 more | $110,730 | $92,110 |
| Software engineer$11,777 less | $186,640 | $139,640 |
| Truck driver$11,446 more | $66,450 | $60,810 |
| Medical assistant$17,091 more | $59,790 | $61,970 |
| Carpenter$6,629 more | $89,200 | $74,440 |
| Lawyer$5,738 less | $212,500 | $178,540 |
| Project manager$9,325 more | $135,040 | $124,350 |
Taxes
Taxes on the same salary, $74,260 (a typical San Francisco wage), in each city. Single filer, 2026.
| San Francisco | Sacramento | |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income taxNo change | $7,507 | $7,507 |
| Payroll taxesNo change | $6,646 | $6,646 |
| State income taxNo change | $2,729 | $2,729 |
| Local income taxNo change | $0 | $0 |
| TotalNo change | $16,882 | $16,882 |
Living there
Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
| San Francisco | Sacramento | |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income$48,414 less | $139,801 | $91,387 |
| Median home value$798,900 less | $1,314,700 | $515,800 |
| Unemployment rate0.3 pts higher | 5.8% | 6.2% |
| Working from home5.2 pts lower | 21.4% | 16.2% |
Moving to Sacramento
People also compare
Questions people ask
Is it cheaper to live in Sacramento than San Francisco?
Yes: prices in the Sacramento area are 7% above the US average, against 16% above the US average in the San Francisco area (BEA, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,790 a month in Sacramento and $2,976 in San Francisco.
How much more is rent in San Francisco?
HUD's FY2027 fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,186 a month (66.3%) higher in San Francisco: $1,790 in Sacramento against $2,976 in San Francisco.
How much do I need to earn in Sacramento to keep the same as in San Francisco?
A typical worker in San Francisco earns $74,260. To keep the same amount after taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, you'd need about $51,700 in Sacramento.
Will I pay more tax in Sacramento?
Both cities are in California, so state income tax is the same; only local taxes differ. On a typical San Francisco salary of $74,260, total income and payroll taxes come to $16,882 in Sacramento and $16,882 in San Francisco.
Do people keep more money in Sacramento or San Francisco?
A typical worker keeps $5,898 more a year in Sacramento than in San Francisco: $6,180 in Sacramento against $282 in San Francisco, after taxes, rent and everyday costs.
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate