Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

Petaluma, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$4,132
/mo nomad
Longmont, CO
🇺🇸 United States
$3,075
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Petaluma, CA is roughly 34% more expensive than in Longmont, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Petaluma, CA
Longmont, CO
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$27.28 $27.28
$20.29 $20.29
34.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$91.4 $91.4
$79.8 $79.8
14.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.02 $12.02
$10.41 $10.41
15.47%
Cappuccino
$5.53 $5.53
$5.66 $5.66
-2.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.57 $3.57
$3.11 $3.11
14.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 $3.24
$2.42 $2.42
33.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$6.97 $6.97
15.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.99 $7.99
$7.76 $7.76
2.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Petaluma, CA
Longmont, CO
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 $1.44
$1.06 $1.06
35.85%
White Bread (500g)
$4.43 $4.43
$5.09 $5.09
-12.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$4.17 $4.17
8.15%
Eggs
$5.35 $5.35
$6.15 $6.15
-13.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.81 $22.81
$14.03 $14.03
62.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.94 $17.94
$13.43 $13.43
33.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.37 $21.37
$19.58 $19.58
9.14%
Apples (1kg)
$7.99 $7.99
$5.47 $5.47
46.07%
Banana (1kg)
$2.32 $2.32
$1.44 $1.44
61.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.90 $6.90
$4.49 $4.49
53.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.91 $6.91
$4.86 $4.86
42.18%
Potato (1kg)
$3.94 $3.94
$2.53 $2.53
55.73%
Onion (1kg)
$3.03 $3.03
$3.43 $3.43
-11.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.10 $3.10
$2.39 $2.39
29.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.69 $2.69
$2.28 $2.28
17.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.76 $11.76
$10.29 $10.29
14.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.65 $19.65
$17.25 $17.25
13.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 $1.75
$2.33 $2.33
-24.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 $2.13
$2.45 $2.45
-13.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Petaluma, CA
Longmont, CO
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.54 $1.54
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$272 $272
$83.3 $83.3
226.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.11 $3.11
$2.44 $2.44
27.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.42 $1.42
37.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.42 $29.42
$23.91 $23.91
23.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.02 $1.02
46.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K $27.9K
$27.7K $27.7K
0.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$26.7K $26.7K
0.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Petaluma, CA
Longmont, CO
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$190 $190
$212 $212
-10.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$48.45 $48.45
$80.5 $80.5
-39.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.8 $72.8
$74.9 $74.9
-2.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Petaluma, CA
Longmont, CO
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$127 $127
$38.27 $38.27
231.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$65.3 $65.3
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.60 $14.60
$16.00 $16.00
-8.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Petaluma, CA
Longmont, CO
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,577 $1,577
$1,592 $1,592
-0.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$37.6K $37.6K
$25.0K $25.0K
50.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Petaluma, CA
Longmont, CO
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.5 $55.5
$61.5 $61.5
-9.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.21 $47.21
$48.35 $48.35
-2.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 $109
$84.4 $84.4
28.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 $127
$101 $101
26.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Petaluma, CA
Longmont, CO
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,364 $2,364
$1,726 $1,726
36.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,271 $2,271
$1,620 $1,620
40.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,567 $3,567
$3,022 $3,022
18.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,551 $3,551
$2,834 $2,834
25.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,775 $3,775
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Petaluma, CA
Longmont, CO
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,023 $3,023
$4,496 $4,496
-32.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.77
6.61
2.42%

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

Last update for Petaluma, CA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Longmont, CO: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Petaluma, CA
$2.3K
Longmont, CO
$1.6K 28.7% $651
Groceries & Markets
Petaluma, CA
$551
Longmont, CO
$451 18.1% $100
Eating Out
Petaluma, CA
$404
Longmont, CO
$334 17.4% $70
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Petaluma, CA
$312
Longmont, CO
$368 18% $56
Getting Around
Petaluma, CA
$285 *
Longmont, CO
$99 65.3% $186
Sport & Entertainment
Petaluma, CA
$156
Longmont, CO
$70 54.9% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Petaluma, CA
$152
Longmont, CO
$133 12.8% $20

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 $2,364 in Petaluma, CA and $1,726 in Longmont, CO. 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: $91.0 in Petaluma, CA vs $80.0 in Longmont, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $551 vs $451 per month, with Longmont, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Petaluma, CA
🇺🇸 Longmont, CO
🕒 Local time
20:40 8:40 PM
21:40 9:40 PM
1 h ahead of Petaluma, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
60,438
94,341
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Petaluma, CA Longmont, CO 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Petaluma, CA
  • Longmont, CO

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
Petaluma, CA vs Longmont, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Petaluma, CA and in Longmont, CO?
Petaluma, CA and Longmont, CO differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($4,132 vs $3,075 including rent). Longmont, CO is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Longmont, CO. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Petaluma, CA and in Longmont, CO?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,364 in Petaluma, CA versus $1,726 in Longmont, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Petaluma, CA or Longmont, CO?
All in, you'll spend $4,132 per month in Petaluma, CA versus $3,075 in Longmont, CO – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Petaluma, CA and in Longmont, CO?
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.
Which city is feasible on a $3,000 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.
How does quality of life compare between Petaluma, CA and Longmont, CO?
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.
Is Petaluma, CA or Longmont, CO safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Petaluma, CA and Longmont, CO are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Petaluma, CA or Longmont, CO?
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.

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