Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Redwood City, CA and Somerville, MA

For one person, living costs are similar in Redwood City, CA and in Somerville, MA: $4,197 and $4,288 a month, rent and utilities included.

203

Cost of Living Index in Redwood City, CA
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Redwood City, CA Living Index
210

Cost of Living Index in Somerville, MA
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Somerville, MA Living Index

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Redwood City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,197

/mo nomad

Somerville, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Redwood City, CA and in Somerville, MA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,197 in Redwood City, CA versus $4,288 in Somerville, MA.

Redwood City, CA $4,197
Somerville, MA $4,288

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,241 in Redwood City, CA versus $6,211 in Somerville, MA.

Redwood City, CA $6,241
Somerville, MA $6,211

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,286 in Redwood City, CA versus $8,134 in Somerville, MA.

Redwood City, CA $8,286
Somerville, MA $8,134

Living in Redwood City, CA costs roughly 2% less than in Somerville, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Redwood City, CA 211% above, Somerville, MA 218% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 $25.04

$24.95 $24.95

0.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 $110

$95.3 $95.3

15.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.44 $13.44

$13.25 $13.25

1.43%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$5.44 $5.44

3.68%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.91 $2.91

11.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.26 $2.26

17.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 $8.20

$8.12 $8.12

0.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.87 $8.87

$9.09 $9.09

-2.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.08 $1.08

41.67%

White Bread (500g)

$5.37 $5.37

$3.90 $3.90

37.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$5.31 $5.31

-8.47%

Eggs

$7.74 $7.74

$4.92 $4.92

57.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.07 $15.07

$15.91 $15.91

-5.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 $10.63

$14.04 $14.04

-24.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.61 $19.61

$17.85 $17.85

9.86%

Apples (1kg)

$6.25 $6.25

$6.66 $6.66

-6.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.08 $2.08

37.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$5.53 $5.53

-18.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$6.49 $6.49

-4.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.20 $2.20

35.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.16 $2.16

68.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.99 $2.99

-7.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.98 $2.98

-12.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$13.39 $13.39

-11.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 $20.28

$15.79 $15.79

28.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.09 $2.09

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$4.11 $4.11

-17.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.23 $2.23

114.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 $88.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 $4.25

$2.62 $2.62

62.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.78 $1.78

-32.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.38 $38.38

$28.09 $28.09

36.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.08 $1.08

45.37%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$36.9K $36.9K

1.38%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.37%

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

$237 $237

$246 $246

-3.57%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$75.9 $75.9

-29.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$74.5 $74.5

-6.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$239 $239

$103 $103

131.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.93 $29.93

Cinema Ticket

$17.91 $17.91

$15.65 $15.65

14.44%

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

$2,907 $2,907

$1,848 $1,848

57.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.0K $43.0K

$30.6K $30.6K

40.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.86 $45.86

$48.48 $48.48

-5.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.04 $25.04

$38.45 $38.45

-34.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 $98.8

$101 $101

-2.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$158 $158

-27.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,248 $4,248

$2,965 $2,965

43.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 $2,521

$2,637 $2,637

-4.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,692 $5,692

$4,530 $4,530

25.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,469 $4,469

$4,491 $4,491

-0.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,454 $7,454

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,679 $5,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,008 $8,008

$5,408 $5,408

48.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.64

2.71%

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

Last update for Redwood City, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Somerville, MA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Redwood City, CA

$2.5K 60.1%

Somerville, MA

$2.6K 61.5% 4.6% $116

Groceries & Markets

Redwood City, CA

$493 11.8%

Somerville, MA

$472 11% 4.4% $22

Eating Out

Redwood City, CA

$390 9.3%

Somerville, MA

$384 9% 1.6% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Redwood City, CA

$360 8.6%

Somerville, MA

$396 9.2% 10% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Redwood City, CA

$275 6.6%

Somerville, MA

$135 3.1% 51% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Redwood City, CA

$128 3%

Somerville, MA

$155 3.6% 21.8% $28

Getting Around

Redwood City, CA

$29 * 0.7%

Somerville, MA

$109 2.6% 272% $80

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 $4,248 in Redwood City, CA and $2,965 in Somerville, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Redwood City, CA pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $110 in Redwood City, CA vs $95.0 in Somerville, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $493 vs $472 per month, with Somerville, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Redwood City, CA

🇺🇸 Somerville, MA

🕒 Local time

22:42 10:42 PM

01:42 1:42 AM

3 h ahead of Redwood City, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

88,314

75,754

💱 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

Redwood City, CA Somerville, MA 4,330 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Redwood City, CA
Somerville, MA

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

Redwood City, CA vs Somerville, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Redwood City, CA and Somerville, MA differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($4,197 vs $4,288 including rent). Redwood City, CA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% higher in Redwood City, 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: $4,248 in Redwood City, CA versus $2,965 in Somerville, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,907 in Redwood City, CA versus $1,848 in Somerville, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Redwood City, CA – a meal for two runs $110 versus $95.0 in Somerville, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $5,000. Redwood City, 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.

Safety-wise, Redwood City, CA and Somerville, MA 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 Redwood City, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Somerville, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.