Last update: Nov 2026

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

143

Cost of Living Index in Sacramento, CA
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Sacramento, CA Living Index
190

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

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Sacramento, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,961

/mo nomad

Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Sacramento, CA costs roughly 26% less than in Fairfield, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.37 $21.37

$21.62 $21.62

-1.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 $93.9

$88.7 $88.7

5.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 $12.74

$12.01 $12.01

6.08%

Cappuccino

$5.00 $5.00

$6.94 $6.94

-27.95%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$3.49 $3.49

-16.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.02 $2.02

49.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.22 $8.22

$7.98 $7.98

3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.21 $8.21

$7.16 $7.16

14.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.41 $1.41

-12.06%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$4.42 $4.42

-9.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$4.68 $4.68

-5.56%

Eggs

$5.77 $5.77

$5.54 $5.54

4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 $14.98

$14.08 $14.08

6.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.90 $14.90

$15.20 $15.20

-1.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.44 $18.44

$17.77 $17.77

3.77%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$6.11 $6.11

-16.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.59 $2.59

-22.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$6.35 $6.35

-33.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$6.60 $6.60

-12.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.89 $3.89

-2.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.54 $3.54

-6.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.33 $2.33

5.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.06 $2.06

30.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.88 $11.88

$11.87 $11.87

0.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 $13.90

$10.18 $10.18

36.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.11 $2.11

27.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.12 $2.12

65.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.96 $1.96

26.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.5 $99.5

$87.1 $87.1

14.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.95 $2.95

37.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.95 $1.95

-1.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.55 $24.55

$29.14 $29.14

-15.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.43 $1.43

13.29%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$28.2K $28.2K

24.68%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

1.76%

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

$230 $230

$193 $193

19.28%

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

$59.2 $59.2

$48.25 $48.25

22.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$72.9 $72.9

-5.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.76 $31.76

$125 $125

-74.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.77 $40.77

$73.7 $73.7

-44.69%

Cinema Ticket

$16.67 $16.67

$14.61 $14.61

14.10%

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

$1,474 $1,474

$1,293 $1,293

13.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K $22.3K

-0.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 $60.9

$51.1 $51.1

19.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.89 $45.89

$37.08 $37.08

23.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 $91.8

$107 $107

-14.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$112 $112

15.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 $1,977

$2,396 $2,396

-17.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 $1,458

$2,432 $2,432

-40.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,136 $3,136

$3,100 $3,100

1.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,532 $2,532

$2,967 $2,967

-14.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,402 $5,402

$3,719 $3,719

45.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,343 $3,343

$3,665 $3,665

-8.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,580 $4,580

$4,749 $4,749

-3.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.48

3.70%

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

Last update for Sacramento, CA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Fairfield, CA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sacramento, CA

$1.5K 49.2%

Fairfield, CA

$2.4K 61.1% 66.8% $974

Groceries & Markets

Sacramento, CA

$460 15.5%

Fairfield, CA

$463 11.7% 0.8% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sacramento, CA

$358 12.1%

Fairfield, CA

$314 7.9% 12.4% $44

Eating Out

Sacramento, CA

$350 11.8%

Fairfield, CA

$369 9.3% 5.2% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Sacramento, CA

$147 5%

Fairfield, CA

$138 3.5% 6% $8.9

Getting Around

Sacramento, CA

$123 4.2%

Fairfield, CA

$108 2.7% 12.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Sacramento, CA

$65 2.2%

Fairfield, CA

$155 3.9% 137% $89

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,977 in Sacramento, CA and $2,396 in Fairfield, 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: $94 in Sacramento, CA vs $89 in Fairfield, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $460 vs $463, with Sacramento, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sacramento, CA

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CA

🕒 Local time

14:30 2:30 PM

Same time as Sacramento, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

524,943

117,133

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sacramento, CA Fairfield, CA 58 km

From you

Sacramento, CA
Fairfield, 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

Sacramento, CA vs Fairfield, 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.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Sacramento, CA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,977 in Sacramento, CA versus $2,396 in Fairfield, 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 $2,961 per month in Sacramento, CA versus $3,978 in Fairfield, 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.