Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairfield, CA and Sacramento, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Sacramento, CA: $2,961 a month against $3,978 in Fairfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

190

Cost of Living Index in Fairfield, CA
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Fairfield, CA Living Index
143

Cost of Living Index in Sacramento, CA
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Sacramento, CA Living Index

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Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,978

/mo nomad

Sacramento, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,961

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fairfield, CA and in Sacramento, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,978 in Fairfield, CA versus $2,961 in Sacramento, CA.

Fairfield, CA $3,978
Sacramento, CA $2,961

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,242 in Fairfield, CA versus $4,445 in Sacramento, CA.

Fairfield, CA $5,242
Sacramento, CA $4,445

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,507 in Fairfield, CA versus $5,928 in Sacramento, CA.

Fairfield, CA $6,507
Sacramento, CA $5,928

Living in Fairfield, CA is roughly 34% more expensive than in Sacramento, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fairfield, CA 194% above, Sacramento, CA 119% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.62 $21.62

$21.37 $21.37

1.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$93.9 $93.9

-5.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 $12.01

$12.74 $12.74

-5.73%

Cappuccino

$6.94 $6.94

$5.00 $5.00

38.80%

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

$3.49 $3.49

$2.90 $2.90

20.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.01 $3.01

-32.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 $7.98

$8.22 $8.22

-2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$8.21 $8.21

-12.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.24 $1.24

13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 $4.42

$4.01 $4.01

10.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$4.42 $4.42

5.88%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$5.77 $5.77

-3.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.08 $14.08

$14.98 $14.98

-6.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$14.90 $14.90

2.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 $17.77

$18.44 $18.44

-3.63%

Apples (1kg)

$6.11 $6.11

$5.10 $5.10

19.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.01 $2.01

28.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$4.21 $4.21

50.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$5.78 $5.78

14.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.78 $3.78

2.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.31 $3.31

6.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.45 $2.45

-4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.69 $2.69

-23.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 $11.87

$11.88 $11.88

-0.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 $10.18

$13.90 $13.90

-26.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.68 $2.68

-21.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$3.51 $3.51

-39.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.48 $2.48

-20.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 $87.1

$99.5 $99.5

-12.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$4.06 $4.06

-27.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.92 $1.92

1.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.14 $29.14

$24.55 $24.55

18.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.62 $1.62

-11.73%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$35.1K $35.1K

-19.79%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.73%

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

$193 $193

$230 $230

-16.17%

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

$48.25 $48.25

$59.2 $59.2

-18.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$69.2 $69.2

5.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$125 $125

$31.76 $31.76

294.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$73.7 $73.7

$40.77 $40.77

80.79%

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 $14.61

$16.67 $16.67

-12.36%

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

$1,293 $1,293

$1,474 $1,474

-12.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K $22.3K

0.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$60.9 $60.9

-16.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.08 $37.08

$45.89 $45.89

-19.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$91.8 $91.8

17.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$128 $128

-13.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,396 $2,396

$1,977 $1,977

21.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 $2,432

$1,458 $1,458

66.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,100 $3,100

$3,136 $3,136

-1.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,967 $2,967

$2,532 $2,532

17.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,719 $3,719

$5,402 $5,402

-31.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,665 $3,665

$3,343 $3,343

9.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,749 $4,749

$4,580 $4,580

3.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

6.72

-3.57%

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

Last update for Fairfield, CA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sacramento, CA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fairfield, CA

$2.4K 61.1%

Sacramento, CA

$1.5K 49.2% 40.1% $974

Groceries & Markets

Fairfield, CA

$463 11.7%

Sacramento, CA

$460 15.5% 0.8% $3.7

Eating Out

Fairfield, CA

$369 9.3%

Sacramento, CA

$350 11.8% 4.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairfield, CA

$314 7.9%

Sacramento, CA

$358 12.1% 14.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Fairfield, CA

$155 3.9%

Sacramento, CA

$65 2.2% 57.9% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Fairfield, CA

$138 3.5%

Sacramento, CA

$147 5% 6.4% $8.9

Getting Around

Fairfield, CA

$108 2.7%

Sacramento, CA

$123 4.2% 14.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,396 in Fairfield, CA and $1,977 in Sacramento, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fairfield, CA pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $89 in Fairfield, CA vs $94 in Sacramento, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $463 vs $460, with Sacramento, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 Sacramento, CA

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

Same time as Fairfield, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,133

524,943

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Fairfield, CA Sacramento, CA 58 km

From you

Fairfield, CA
Sacramento, 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

Fairfield, CA vs Sacramento, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sacramento, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Fairfield, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Sacramento, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Fairfield, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,396 in Fairfield, CA versus $1,977 in Sacramento, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Fairfield, CA runs roughly 12% less than in Sacramento, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $3,978 per month in Fairfield, CA versus $2,961 in Sacramento, CA – Sacramento, CA is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Sacramento, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Sacramento, CA wins on affordability, Fairfield, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.