Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Longmont, CO and Petaluma, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Longmont, CO: $3,075 a month against $4,132 in Petaluma, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Longmont, CO
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Longmont, CO Living Index
201

Cost of Living Index in Petaluma, CA
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Petaluma, CA Living Index

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Longmont, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,075

/mo nomad

Petaluma, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,132

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Longmont, CO and in Petaluma, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,075 in Longmont, CO versus $4,132 in Petaluma, CA.

Longmont, CO $3,075
Petaluma, CA $4,132

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,586 in Longmont, CO versus $5,909 in Petaluma, CA.

Longmont, CO $4,586
Petaluma, CA $5,909

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,096 in Longmont, CO versus $7,686 in Petaluma, CA.

Longmont, CO $6,096
Petaluma, CA $7,686

Living in Longmont, CO costs roughly 26% less than in Petaluma, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Longmont, CO 127% above, Petaluma, CA 205% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.29 $20.29

$27.28 $27.28

-25.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.8 $79.8

$91.4 $91.4

-12.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 $10.41

$12.02 $12.02

-13.39%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.53 $5.53

2.35%

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

$3.11 $3.11

$3.57 $3.57

-12.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.24 $3.24

-25.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 $6.97

$8.05 $8.05

-13.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$7.99 $7.99

-2.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.44 $1.44

-26.39%

White Bread (500g)

$5.09 $5.09

$4.43 $4.43

14.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$4.51 $4.51

-7.54%

Eggs

$6.15 $6.15

$5.35 $5.35

14.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.03 $14.03

$22.81 $22.81

-38.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.43 $13.43

$17.94 $17.94

-25.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.58 $19.58

$21.37 $21.37

-8.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$7.99 $7.99

-31.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$2.32 $2.32

-37.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$6.90 $6.90

-34.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$6.91 $6.91

-29.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.94 $3.94

-35.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.03 $3.03

13.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.10 $3.10

-22.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.69 $2.69

-15.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.29 $10.29

$11.76 $11.76

-12.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.25 $17.25

$19.65 $19.65

-12.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.75 $1.75

33.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.13 $2.13

15.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.3 $83.3

$272 $272

-69.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.11 $3.11

-21.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.95 $1.95

-27.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.91 $23.91

$29.42 $29.42

-18.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.49 $1.49

-31.54%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$27.9K $27.9K

-0.58%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.52%

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

$212 $212

$190 $190

11.46%

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

$80.5 $80.5

$48.45 $48.45

66.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.9 $74.9

$72.8 $72.8

2.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.27 $38.27

$127 $127

-69.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$65.3 $65.3

Cinema Ticket

$16.00 $16.00

$14.60 $14.60

9.59%

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

$1,592 $1,592

$1,577 $1,577

0.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$37.6K $37.6K

-33.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 $61.5

$55.5 $55.5

10.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.35 $48.35

$47.21 $47.21

2.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 $84.4

$109 $109

-22.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$127 $127

-20.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,726 $1,726

$2,364 $2,364

-26.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,620 $1,620

$2,271 $2,271

-28.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 $3,022

$3,567 $3,567

-15.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,834 $2,834

$3,551 $3,551

-20.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,775 $3,775

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,496 $4,496

$3,023 $3,023

48.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

6.77

-2.36%

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

Last update for Longmont, CO: October 19, 2026

Last update for Petaluma, CA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Longmont, CO

$1.6K 52.7%

Petaluma, CA

$2.3K 55% 40.2% $651

Groceries & Markets

Longmont, CO

$451 14.7%

Petaluma, CA

$551 13.3% 22.1% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Longmont, CO

$368 12%

Petaluma, CA

$312 7.5% 15.2% $56

Eating Out

Longmont, CO

$334 10.9%

Petaluma, CA

$404 9.8% 21% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Longmont, CO

$133 4.3%

Petaluma, CA

$152 3.7% 14.7% $20

Getting Around

Longmont, CO

$99 3.2%

Petaluma, CA

$285 * 6.9% 188% $186

Sport & Entertainment

Longmont, CO

$70 2.3%

Petaluma, CA

$156 3.8% 122% $86

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,726 in Longmont, CO and $2,364 in Petaluma, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longmont, CO pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $80.0 in Longmont, CO vs $91.0 in Petaluma, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $551 per month, with Longmont, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Longmont, CO

🇺🇸 Petaluma, CA

🕒 Local time

22:35 10:35 PM

21:35 9:35 PM

1 h behind Longmont, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

94,341

60,438

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Longmont, CO Petaluma, CA 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Longmont, CO
Petaluma, 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

Longmont, CO vs Petaluma, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Longmont, CO and Petaluma, CA differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($3,075 vs $4,132 including rent). Longmont, CO is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 49% higher in Longmont, CO, 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: $1,726 in Longmont, CO versus $2,364 in Petaluma, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,075 per month in Longmont, CO versus $4,132 in Petaluma, CA – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Longmont, CO runs roughly 227% less than in Petaluma, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Longmont, CO 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.

Safety-wise, Longmont, CO and Petaluma, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Longmont, CO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Petaluma, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.