Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Mateo, CA and Cedar City, UT

For one person, living is cheaper in Cedar City, UT: $2,279 a month against $4,419 in San Mateo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $25,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

215

Cost of Living Index in San Mateo, CA
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San Mateo, CA Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Cedar City, UT
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Cedar City, UT Living Index

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San Mateo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,419

/mo nomad

Cedar City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,279

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Mateo, CA and in Cedar City, UT

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,419 in San Mateo, CA versus $2,279 in Cedar City, UT.

San Mateo, CA $4,419
Cedar City, UT $2,279

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,644 in San Mateo, CA versus $3,548 in Cedar City, UT.

San Mateo, CA $6,644
Cedar City, UT $3,548

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,868 in San Mateo, CA versus $4,818 in Cedar City, UT.

San Mateo, CA $8,868
Cedar City, UT $4,818

Living in San Mateo, CA is roughly 94% more expensive than in Cedar City, UT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Mateo, CA 227% above, Cedar City, UT 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 $19.81

$23.97 $23.97

-17.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$78.7 $78.7

24.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 $12.87

$15.01 $15.01

-14.26%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$6.53 $6.53

-15.16%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$4.77 $4.77

-35.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.96 $2.96

-5.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 $8.31

$5.97 $5.97

39.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 $9.86

$11.09 $11.09

-11.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.08 $1.08

49.07%

White Bread (500g)

$5.96 $5.96

$3.66 $3.66

62.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$4.39 $4.39

36.22%

Eggs

$7.19 $7.19

$3.74 $3.74

92.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 $13.35

$18.35 $18.35

-27.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$15.56 $15.56

22.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.87 $19.87

$18.18 $18.18

9.30%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$7.94 $7.94

-23.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.41 $2.41

-11.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$7.79 $7.79

-49.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.86 $8.86

$3.54 $3.54

150.28%

Potato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.78 $1.78

143.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.36 $2.36

28.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.14 $2.14

42.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.34 $2.34

-15.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 $11.94

$13.16 $13.16

-9.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.53 $14.53

$22.32 $22.32

-34.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.97 $1.97

-14.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$4.91 $4.91

-60.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.99 $3.99

$5.01 $5.01

-20.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 $97.1

$40.35 $40.35

140.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 $4.05

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.89 $0.89

75.28%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$36.7K $36.7K

0.37%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.6K $25.6K

1.53%

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

$267 $267

$174 $174

52.98%

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

$41.54 $41.54

$33.09 $33.09

25.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 $62.4

$58.1 $58.1

7.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 $109

$54.1 $54.1

101.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.40 $9.40

Cinema Ticket

$18.35 $18.35

$11.28 $11.28

62.68%

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

$2,947 $2,947

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.8K $28.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 $63.6

$57.0 $57.0

11.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.52 $47.52

$49.36 $49.36

-3.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$99.9 $99.9

17.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$147 $147

-8.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,421 $3,421

$1,043 $1,043

228.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,741 $2,741

$838 $838

227.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,944 $5,944

$1,901 $1,901

212.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,128 $5,128

$1,587 $1,587

223.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K $13.8K

$2,643 $2,643

422.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,907 $8,907

$2,701 $2,701

229.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,501 $7,501

$3,489 $3,489

114.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

7.19

-9.18%

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

Last update for San Mateo, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cedar City, UT: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Mateo, CA

$2.7K 62%

Cedar City, UT

$838 36.8% 69.4% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

San Mateo, CA

$523 11.8%

Cedar City, UT

$481 21.1% 7.9% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Mateo, CA

$371 8.4%

Cedar City, UT

$266 11.7% 28.4% $105

Eating Out

San Mateo, CA

$348 7.9%

Cedar City, UT

$398 17.5% 14.3% $50

Clothing & Footwear

San Mateo, CA

$163 3.7%

Cedar City, UT

$159 7% 2.6% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

San Mateo, CA

$146 3.3%

Cedar City, UT

$77 3.4% 47.4% $69

Getting Around

San Mateo, CA

$127 2.9%

Cedar City, UT

$60 * 2.7% 52.5% $67

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 $3,421 in San Mateo, CA and $1,043 in Cedar City, UT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Mateo, CA pays 115% 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: $98.0 in San Mateo, CA vs $79.0 in Cedar City, UT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $523 vs $481 per month, with Cedar City, UT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Mateo, CA

🇺🇸 Cedar City, UT

🕒 Local time

15:36 3:36 PM

16:36 4:36 PM

1 h ahead of San Mateo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,536

28,857

💱 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

San Mateo, CA Cedar City, UT 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

San Mateo, CA
Cedar City, UT

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

San Mateo, CA vs Cedar City, UT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cedar City, UT is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 115% higher in San Mateo, 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: $3,421 in San Mateo, CA versus $1,043 in Cedar City, UT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cedar City, UT – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $98.0 in San Mateo, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Cedar City, UT runs roughly 141% less than in San Mateo, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,279 in Cedar City, UT versus $4,419 in San Mateo, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cedar City, UT but tight or insufficient in San Mateo, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Cedar City, UT the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cedar City, UT is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in San Mateo, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, San Mateo, CA and Cedar City, UT 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 Cedar City, UT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in San Mateo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.