Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rosa, CA: $3,442 a month against $3,665 in Puyallup, WA, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. The total is higher in Puyallup, WA despite lower rent and utilities.

166

Cost of Living Index in Santa Rosa, CA
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Santa Rosa, CA Living Index
175

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

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Santa Rosa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,442

/mo nomad

Puyallup, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,665

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $3,665 in Puyallup, WA.

Santa Rosa, CA $3,442
Puyallup, WA $3,665

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,030 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $5,096 in Puyallup, WA.

Santa Rosa, CA $5,030
Puyallup, WA $5,096

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,617 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $6,528 in Puyallup, WA.

Santa Rosa, CA $6,617
Puyallup, WA $6,528

Living in Santa Rosa, CA costs roughly 6% less than in Puyallup, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Rosa, CA 153% above, Puyallup, WA 169% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.06 $27.06

$25.12 $25.12

7.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.5 $90.5

$80.0 $80.0

13.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$15.06 $15.06

-19.32%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$6.67 $6.67

-1.05%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$3.15 $3.15

2.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.11 $3.11

1.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 $7.88

$8.14 $8.14

-3.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.92 $8.92

$8.17 $8.17

9.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.11 $1.11

23.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.65 $4.65

-1.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$6.16 $6.16

-22.89%

Eggs

$5.44 $5.44

$5.50 $5.50

-1.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.62 $22.62

$18.00 $18.00

25.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.25 $15.25

$16.79 $16.79

-9.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.99 $20.99

$23.08 $23.08

-9.06%

Apples (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$6.22 $6.22

-1.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.88 $1.88

32.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.28 $5.28

28.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 $6.84

$6.57 $6.57

4.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.59 $3.59

9.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.31 $3.31

5.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.70 $2.70

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.60 $2.60

-24.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.74 $11.74

$12.32 $12.32

-4.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.85 $11.85

$17.64 $17.64

-32.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.68 $1.68

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$4.87 $4.87

-57.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

$4.80 $4.80

-68.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 $50.2

$174 $174

-71.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.52 $2.52

55.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.63 $1.63

19.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.43 $29.43

$30.06 $30.06

-2.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.35 $1.35

10.37%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$33.1K $33.1K

-17.01%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.36%

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

$196 $196

$277 $277

-29.27%

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

$49.40 $49.40

$90.3 $90.3

-45.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$85.7 $85.7

-16.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.2 $68.2

$71.4 $71.4

-4.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.99 $13.99

$20.12 $20.12

-30.47%

Cinema Ticket

$14.27 $14.27

$17.65 $17.65

-19.15%

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

$1,255 $1,255

$2,781 $2,781

-54.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.0K $40.0K

$31.3K $31.3K

27.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 $50.5

$61.6 $61.6

-18.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.55 $36.55

$44.99 $44.99

-18.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$124 $124

-15.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$162 $162

-21.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,336 $2,336

$1,845 $1,845

26.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,893 $1,893

$1,796 $1,796

5.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,569 $3,569

$2,720 $2,720

31.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,100 $3,100

$2,518 $2,518

23.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,019 $5,019

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,908 $4,908

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,740 $4,740

$6,740 $6,740

-29.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.68

-3.29%

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

Last update for Santa Rosa, CA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Puyallup, WA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Rosa, CA

$1.9K 55%

Puyallup, WA

$1.8K 49% 5.1% $97

Groceries & Markets

Santa Rosa, CA

$507 14.7%

Puyallup, WA

$521 14.2% 2.6% $13

Eating Out

Santa Rosa, CA

$415 12.1%

Puyallup, WA

$408 11.1% 1.6% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Rosa, CA

$317 9.2%

Puyallup, WA

$453 12.4% 43% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Rosa, CA

$143 4.2%

Puyallup, WA

$177 4.8% 23% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Rosa, CA

$97 2.8%

Puyallup, WA

$107 2.9% 10.3% $10

Getting Around

Santa Rosa, CA

$70 2%

Puyallup, WA

$204 5.6% 192% $134

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,336 in Santa Rosa, CA and $1,845 in Puyallup, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puyallup, WA pays 42% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $91 in Santa Rosa, CA vs $80 in Puyallup, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $507 vs $521, with Santa Rosa, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Rosa, CA

🇺🇸 Puyallup, WA

🕒 Local time

05:00 5:00 AM

Same time as Santa Rosa, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,972

42,973

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Santa Rosa, CA
Puyallup, WA

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

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

Santa Rosa, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 6% 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.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Santa Rosa, 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: $2,336 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $1,845 in Puyallup, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Puyallup, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Puyallup, WA – a meal for two runs $80 versus $91 in Santa Rosa, CA. 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 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 – Santa Rosa, CA wins on affordability, Puyallup, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.