Santa Rosa, CA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Santa Rosa, CA Summary

Cost of living in Santa Rosa research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Santa Rosa is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

  • The cost of living index in Santa Rosa is 167, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Santa Rosa is 1.7x higher than the national average.

  • Santa Rosa ranks as the #418 cheapest in California out of 634.

  • Santa Rosa ranks as the #6,016 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Santa Rosa is $705,582.

  • The median income in Santa Rosa is $97,410.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
167
Santa Rosa's Overall Cost Of Living
1.7x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Santa Rosa, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Santa Rosa has an overall cost of living index of 167, which is 1.7x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Santa Rosa has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than California's index of 141.

The standard of living in Santa Rosa ranks as #418 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Santa Rosa ranks as the #216 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in Santa Rosa, check out:

418 out of 634
In California
6,016 out of 6,489
In America

Santa Rosa Cost Of Living Vs. California

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Santa Rosa. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Santa Rosa is 122.

  • The Groceries index in Santa Rosa is 121.

  • The Health index in Santa Rosa is 127.

  • The Housing index in Santa Rosa is 272.

  • The Transportation index in Santa Rosa is 130.

  • The Utilities index in Santa Rosa is 134.

Living Expense Santa Rosa California National Average
Overall 167 141 100
Services 122 110 100
Groceries 121 112 100
Health 127 110 100
Housing 272 195 100
Transportation 130 125 100
Utilities 134 128 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
Santa Rosa Cost of Living Vs. CA

Santa Rosa, CA Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Santa Rosa is $705,582.

  • The Median Rent in Santa Rosa is $2,084.

  • The Median Income in Santa Rosa is $97,410.

  • The Home Value To Income in Santa Rosa is 7.2x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Santa Rosa is 0.26x.

Statistic Santa Rosa California United States
Median Home Value $705,582 $763,287 $303,400
Median Rent $2,084 $1,956 $1,348
Median Income $97,410 $96,334 $78,538
Home Value To Income 7.2x 7.9x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.26x 0.24x 0.21x
$705,582
Median Home Value
$2,084
Median Rent
$97,410
Median Income

Santa Rosa, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Santa Rosa Services Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Rosa California
Shampoo $1.65 $1.28
Movie $16.02 $12.13
Bowling $24.01 $18
Haircut $28.38 $24.26
Beauty Salon $85.43 $45.56

Detailed Santa Rosa Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Rosa California
Ground Beef $6.23 $5.84
Fried Chicken $2.11 $1.57
Milk $5.18 $4.67
Potatoes $4.98 $4.93
Pizza $15.74 $12.09
Beer $11.21 $10.41
Toothpaste $4.09 $3.7

Detailed Santa Rosa Health Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Rosa California
Optometrist $159.79 $125.68
Doctor $174.45 $135.78
Dentist $155.36 $113.29

Detailed Santa Rosa Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Rosa California
Gasoline $4.63 $3.46
Tire Balancing $75.33 $59.92

Detailed Santa Rosa Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Rosa California
All Electricity $298.77 $193.99
Phone $203.63 $192.25

Santa Rosa SnackAbility

8
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8/10
Housing
9.5
Affordability
3
Diversity
9
Safety
5
Amenities
9.5
Education
7
Commute
8

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Santa Rosa

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Santa Rosa. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Petaluma, CA has a cost of living index of 183, 1.1x Santa Rosa.

  • Rohnert Park, CA has a cost of living index of 163, 1.0x Santa Rosa.

  • Windsor, CA has a cost of living index of 177, 1.1x Santa Rosa.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Santa Rosa
Petaluma, CA 59,321 183 1.1x
Rohnert Park, CA 44,461 163 1.0x
Windsor, CA 26,179 177 1.1x
Healdsburg, CA 11,274 193 1.2x
Oakville, CT 9,233 113 0.7x
Larkfield-Wikiup, CA 8,861 175 1.0x
Cotati, CA 7,533 166 1.0x
Sebastopol, CA 7,466 176 1.1x
St. Helena, CA 5,378 249 1.5x

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