Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puyallup, WA and Santa Rosa, CA

For one person, living costs are similar in Puyallup, WA and in Santa Rosa, CA: $3,631 and $3,498 a month, rent and utilities included.

177

Cost of Living Index in Puyallup, WA
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Puyallup, WA Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Santa Rosa, CA
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Santa Rosa, CA Living Index

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Puyallup, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,631

/mo nomad

Santa Rosa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puyallup, WA and in Santa Rosa, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,631 in Puyallup, WA versus $3,498 in Santa Rosa, CA.

Puyallup, WA $3,631
Santa Rosa, CA $3,498

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,078 in Puyallup, WA versus $4,975 in Santa Rosa, CA.

Puyallup, WA $5,078
Santa Rosa, CA $4,975

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,524 in Puyallup, WA versus $6,451 in Santa Rosa, CA.

Puyallup, WA $6,524
Santa Rosa, CA $6,451

Living in Puyallup, WA is roughly 4% more expensive than in Santa Rosa, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Puyallup, WA 169% above, Santa Rosa, CA 159% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.96 $24.96

$27.30 $27.30

-8.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 $78.6

$89.0 $89.0

-11.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.78 $14.78

$12.12 $12.12

21.95%

Cappuccino

$6.57 $6.57

$6.45 $6.45

1.86%

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

$3.11 $3.11

$3.22 $3.22

-3.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.24 $3.24

-4.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.15 $8.15

$8.11 $8.11

0.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 $8.19

$8.84 $8.84

-7.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.37 $1.37

-16.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.48 $4.48

$4.54 $4.54

-1.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.73 $4.73

27.91%

Eggs

$5.52 $5.52

$5.31 $5.31

3.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.30 $18.30

$22.22 $22.22

-17.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.94 $16.94

$15.12 $15.12

12.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.17 $23.17

$21.16 $21.16

9.50%

Apples (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$6.07 $6.07

-0.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.48 $2.48

-25.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$6.97 $6.97

-25.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$6.98 $6.98

-10.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.01 $4.01

-14.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$3.59 $3.59

-11.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 $2.70

$3.14 $3.14

-14.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.04 $2.04

22.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.97 $11.97

$12.02 $12.02

-0.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.91 $17.91

$11.91 $11.91

50.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.07 $2.07

-17.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.07 $2.07

144.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.52 $1.52

226.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$170 $170

$44.18 $44.18

285.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.96 $3.96

-35.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.88 $1.88

-8.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.43 $30.43

$28.85 $28.85

5.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.50 $1.50

-6.67%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$37.5K $37.5K

-4.47%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

-0.22%

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

$280 $280

$190 $190

47.79%

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

$90.4 $90.4

$48.39 $48.39

86.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.7 $87.7

$73.4 $73.4

19.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.8 $71.8

$73.5 $73.5

-2.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.96 $19.96

$13.92 $13.92

43.39%

Cinema Ticket

$17.09 $17.09

$14.78 $14.78

15.63%

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

$3,056 $3,056

$1,272 $1,272

140.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$39.2K $39.2K

-21.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 $61.5

$49.97 $49.97

22.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.51 $44.51

$37.00 $37.00

20.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$106 $106

19.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$127 $127

29.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,872 $1,872

$2,350 $2,350

-20.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 $1,764

$1,952 $1,952

-9.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,726 $2,726

$3,529 $3,529

-22.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 $2,533

$2,944 $2,944

-13.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,569 $4,569

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,662 $4,662

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,666 $6,666

$4,667 $4,667

42.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.46

3.41%

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

Last update for Puyallup, WA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puyallup, WA

$1.8K 48.6%

Santa Rosa, CA

$2K 55.8% 10.6% $188

Groceries & Markets

Puyallup, WA

$517 14.2%

Santa Rosa, CA

$508 14.5% 1.8% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puyallup, WA

$459 12.6%

Santa Rosa, CA

$312 8.9% 32.1% $147

Eating Out

Puyallup, WA

$405 11.2%

Santa Rosa, CA

$416 11.9% 2.8% $11

Getting Around

Puyallup, WA

$201 5.6%

Santa Rosa, CA

$64 1.8% 68.4% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Puyallup, WA

$179 4.9%

Santa Rosa, CA

$144 4.1% 19.5% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Puyallup, WA

$106 2.9%

Santa Rosa, CA

$103 3% 2.7% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,872 in Puyallup, WA and $2,350 in Santa Rosa, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puyallup, WA pays 43% 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: $79.0 in Puyallup, WA vs $89.0 in Santa Rosa, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $517 vs $508, with Santa Rosa, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Puyallup, WA

🇺🇸 Santa Rosa, CA

🕒 Local time

23:59 11:59 PM

Same time as Puyallup, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,973

174,972

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Puyallup, WA Santa Rosa, CA 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Puyallup, WA
Santa Rosa, 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

Puyallup, WA vs Santa Rosa, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Rosa, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Puyallup, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Rosa, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Puyallup, WA, 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: $1,872 in Puyallup, WA versus $2,350 in Santa Rosa, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Puyallup, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Rosa, CA – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $79.0 in Puyallup, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

Both work as nomad bases, but Santa Rosa, CA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,498 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santa Rosa, CA hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Santa Rosa, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Puyallup, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.