Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bakersfield, CA and Palm Springs, CA

For one person, living costs are similar in Bakersfield, CA and in Palm Springs, CA: $2,855 and $2,804 a month, rent and utilities included.

137

Cost of Living Index in Bakersfield, CA
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Bakersfield, CA Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Palm Springs, CA
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Palm Springs, CA Living Index

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Bakersfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,855

/mo nomad

Palm Springs, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bakersfield, CA and in Palm Springs, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bakersfield, CA and in Palm Springs, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,855 in Bakersfield, CA versus $2,804 in Palm Springs, CA.

Bakersfield, CA $2,855
Palm Springs, CA $2,804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,902 in Bakersfield, CA versus $4,462 in Palm Springs, CA.

Bakersfield, CA $3,902
Palm Springs, CA $4,462

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,949 in Bakersfield, CA versus $6,120 in Palm Springs, CA.

Bakersfield, CA $4,949
Palm Springs, CA $6,120

Monthly costs are close between Bakersfield, CA and Palm Springs, CA; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bakersfield, CA 110% above, Palm Springs, CA 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.64 $18.64

$30.21 $30.21

-38.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 $64.8

$73.6 $73.6

-11.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.10 $14.10

$9.83 $9.83

43.44%

Cappuccino

$5.74 $5.74

$5.31 $5.31

8.10%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.77 $2.77

-1.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.57 $1.57

28.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$4.96 $4.96

18.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 $5.81

$5.60 $5.60

3.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.35 $1.35

-19.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$4.01 $4.01

3.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.96 $2.96

71.28%

Eggs

$3.29 $3.29

$5.64 $5.64

-41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$13.91 $13.91

-8.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$13.85 $13.85

-3.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 $15.93

$12.34 $12.34

29.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$5.01 $5.01

-16.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.14 $2.14

-4.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$4.52 $4.52

-12.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$5.05 $5.05

-24.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$4.59 $4.59

-53.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$4.26 $4.26

-43.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.17 $2.17

-2.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.19 $2.19

13.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.59 $11.59

$11.80 $11.80

-1.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.80 $17.80

$13.53 $13.53

31.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.65 $1.65

19.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 $4.79

$2.78 $2.78

72.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.03 $1.03

57.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 $58.1

$33.71 $33.71

72.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.47 $3.47

-12.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.81 $1.81

14.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.64 $23.64

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.37 $1.37

10.95%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.5K $27.5K

$30.3K $30.3K

-9.35%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.3K $26.3K

3.43%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$390 $390

$243 $243

60.54%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$59.4 $59.4

$81.6 $81.6

-27.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.9 $74.9

$66.5 $66.5

12.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.71 $32.71

$32.81 $32.81

-0.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 $24.81

$49.68 $49.68

-50.06%

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$12.07 $12.07

25.19%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,501 $1,501

$556 $556

169.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,546 $8,546

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 $59.9

$31.48 $31.48

90.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.66 $47.66

$34.67 $34.67

37.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 $98.9

$72.4 $72.4

36.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$138 $138

-12.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 $1,536

$1,961 $1,961

-21.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 $1,311

$1,378 $1,378

-4.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 $1,828

$3,450 $3,450

-47.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 $1,834

$2,963 $2,963

-38.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,742 $2,742

$5,132 $5,132

-46.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,430 $2,430

$3,464 $3,464

-29.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 $3,743

$4,839 $4,839

-22.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

6.68

-3.74%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bakersfield, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Palm Springs, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bakersfield, CA

$1.3K 45.9%

Palm Springs, CA

$1.4K 49.1% 5.1% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bakersfield, CA

$525 18.4%

Palm Springs, CA

$391 14% 25.4% $133

Groceries & Markets

Bakersfield, CA

$411 14.4%

Palm Springs, CA

$415 14.8% 1% $4.3

Eating Out

Bakersfield, CA

$320 11.2%

Palm Springs, CA

$388 13.8% 21.2% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Bakersfield, CA

$147 5.2%

Palm Springs, CA

$125 4.4% 15.3% $23

Getting Around

Bakersfield, CA

$78 2.7%

Palm Springs, CA

$50 1.8% 35.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Bakersfield, CA

$63 2.2%

Palm Springs, CA

$57 2% 9.5% $6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,536 in Bakersfield, CA and $1,961 in Palm Springs, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palm Springs, CA pays 29% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $65 in Bakersfield, CA vs $74 in Palm Springs, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $415 per month, with Bakersfield, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bakersfield, CA

🇺🇸 Palm Springs, CA

🕒 Local time

20:10 8:10 PM

Same time as Bakersfield, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

373,640

44,575

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bakersfield, CA Palm Springs, CA 280 km

From you

Bakersfield, CA
Palm Springs, CA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bakersfield, CA vs Palm Springs, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Bakersfield, CA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,536 in Bakersfield, CA versus $1,961 in Palm Springs, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bakersfield, CA – a meal for two runs $65 versus $74 in Palm Springs, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $1,501 in Bakersfield, CA versus $556 in Palm Springs, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Palm Springs, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.