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 164, which is 1.6x 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 142.
The standard of living in Santa Rosa ranks as #389 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Santa Rosa ranks as the #245 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Santa Rosa, check out:
Santa Rosa Cost Of Living Vs. California
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Santa Rosa. Here is how it fares on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Santa Rosa is 111.
The Groceries index in Santa Rosa is 116.
The Health index in Santa Rosa is 270.
The Housing index in Santa Rosa is 120.
The Transportation index in Santa Rosa is 123.
The Utilities index in Santa Rosa is 123.
| Living Expense | Santa Rosa | California | National Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 164 | 142 | 100 |
| Services | 111 | 110 | 100 |
| Groceries | 116 | 118 | 100 |
| Health | 270 | 197 | 100 |
| Housing | 120 | 120 | 100 |
| Transportation | 123 | 121 | 100 |
| Utilities | 123 | 121 | 100 |
Santa Rosa Cost Of Living Compared To California Averages
Index where 100 = national average. Source: cost-of-living index 2026.
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
Protect your home budget Compare home warranties in Santa Rosa Get matched →Source: Cost-of-living index 2026, normalized to US average = 100
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 2020-2024. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Santa Rosa is $718,725.
The Median Rent in Santa Rosa is $2,152.
The Median Income in Santa Rosa is $99,060.
The Home Value To Income in Santa Rosa is 7.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Santa Rosa is 0.26x.
| Statistic | Santa Rosa | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $718,725 | $774,581 | $332,700 |
| Median Rent | $2,152 | $2,036 | $1,413 |
| Median Income | $99,060 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.3x | 7.8x | 4.1x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.26x | 0.25x | 0.21x |
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
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 178, 1.1x Santa Rosa.
Rohnert Park, CA has a cost of living index of 159, 1.0x Santa Rosa.
Windsor, CA has a cost of living index of 175, 1.1x Santa Rosa.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petaluma, CA | 59,247 | 178 | 1.1x |
| Rohnert Park, CA | 44,575 | 159 | 1.0x |
| Windsor, CA | 26,081 | 175 | 1.1x |
| Healdsburg, CA | 11,243 | 189 | 1.2x |
| Oakville, CT | 9,276 | 113 | 0.7x |
| Larkfield-Wikiup, CA | 8,765 | 171 | 1.0x |
| Cotati, CA | 7,489 | 157 | 1.0x |
| Sebastopol, CA | 7,445 | 172 | 1.0x |
| St. Helena, CA | 5,318 | 251 | 1.5x |
