2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Carlsbad, CA vs Mercer Island, WA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Mercer Island or is it cheaper to live in Carlsbad?
- Mercer Island is 2.1% more expensive than Carlsbad.

Which city has more affordable housing, Mercer Island or Carlsbad?
- Mercer Island housing costs are 69.9% more expensive than Carlsbad housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Carlsbad or is Health Care more affordable in Mercer Island.
- Health related expenses are 0.9% less in Mercer Island.
 Carlsbad, CAMercer Island, WAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock158.1100
 Food & Groceries113.5  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock88.2100
 Housing391.6  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$2,145,300$338,100
 Utilities97  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock130.7100
 Miscellaneous154.1  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Carlsbad    38 Reviews

I've lived in Carlsbad (92008) for 8 years now and really appreciate all that it has to offer. Yes, ALL of San Diego County is expensive, but Carlsbad has [possibly]  More

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Over 4 years ago

Carlson has the worst winters. It averages about 10 meters of snow per week. Every shop is  More

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Ok, I get it, the climate is mild and tolerable but even that is over-rated when you consider how many cloudy days there are in this town. The sun coming out at 3 and  More

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Reviews for Mercer Island    4 Reviews

Mercer Island is a wonderful family community. It feels much more "small town" than a city even though it has a population of 20,000+. People say hello and watch out  More

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Mercer Island is a suburb of Seattle, located on an island in Lake Washington. The best thing about Mercer Island is its strategically central location relative to the  More

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Mercer Island is a suburb of Seattle, located on an island in Lake Washington. The best thing about Mercer Island is its strategically central location relative to the  More

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