Is it much more expensive to live in Sacramento than other similar cities?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Bankrate finds living in Sacramento costs 26-29% more than similar cities.
- Housing and gasoline drive gaps: Sacramento homes 55% pricier, rents 47%.
- Moving from Sacramento to Des Moines yields about 31.8% lower living costs.
People coming to the Sacramento area from similar-sized cities outside of California are likely to find it costs much more to maintain their standard of living.
Bankrate, an independent financial services firm, calculated that it would cost 26.4% more for food, housing and other essentials locally for someone moving from Arlington, Texas, a Dallas suburb similar in size to the California capital. It would cost 28.9% more for someone moving from Las Vegas and 6.6% more to move from Portland.
The affordability issue has become one of the year’s biggest political flashpoints. At the White House and at the Capitol, lawmakers are struggling for ways to stabilize prices.
Prices went up 3% in the year ending in October, somewhat low by historic standards, but people are feeling their cost of living is going up even more.
“Californians have been gloomy about the economy and affordability for several years now, and it’s altering their big-picture thinking,” said Mark Baldassare, statewide survey director for the Public Policy Institute of California, which released results of its California economic survey last week.
Democrats blame Republicans and vice versa for this state of affairs.
“Republicans have failed the American people on the economy. The cost of living in the United States of America is completely and totally out of control,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries last week at a Capitol press conference.
Not so, tweeted House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “In less than a year, Republicans have DELIVERED a stronger, more stable, more affordable America,” he said last week.
Is Sacramento more expensive than other places?
How affordable you think things are could depend on where you live.
Bankrate found that one of the main reasons living costs are higher in Sacramento than in places like Arlington, Texas, are the price of housing and gasoline.
A gallon of regular gasoline cost $4.43 in the Sacramento area Monday, according to AAA. In the Fort Worth-Arlington area, the price was $2.76, largely because of lower taxes.
Housing prices averaged 55% higher in Sacramento and apartment rents were 47% more than in Arlington. Earlier this year, Bankrate found the median price of a home in California was $866,100. Only Hawaii and the District of Columbia were more expensive. Texas’ median was $339,500.
There would be another jolt if someone moved from Las Vegas, with a similar population, to Sacramento.
Rent was 52% higher in the California city – $2,333 in Sacramento and $1,536 in Las Vegas. Homeownership and utilities were much more expensive in Sacramento.
Sacramento vs. Miami and Iowa
There’s better news when comparing Miami-Dade County, Fla., whose population is similar to Sacramento’s, and the results are much the same.
The cost of living in Sacramento would be 2.5% higher. Average housing prices were roughly the same and apartment costs were 33% lower. Food prices tended to be lower, though utilities and gasoline cost much more.
For real savings, though, the best bet could be Des Moines, the biggest city in the state that financial services firm WalletHub has found to be the most affordable. The median Iowa home price in the Bankrate survey was $230,600.
Overall, someone moving from Sacramento to Des Moines would need 31.8% less to maintain their standard of living.
This story was originally published November 26, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
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