2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
San Rafael, CA vs Scottsdale, AZ

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Scottsdale or is it cheaper to live in San Rafael?
- Scottsdale is 50.9% less expensive than San Rafael.

Which city has more affordable housing, Scottsdale or San Rafael?
- Scottsdale housing costs are 48.1% less expensive than San Rafael housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in San Rafael or is Health Care more affordable in Scottsdale.
- Health related expenses are 16.0% less in Scottsdale.
 San Rafael, CAScottsdale, AZUnited States
 Overall  Unlock113.0100
 Food & Groceries113.5  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock92.5100
 Housing445.3  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$721,200$338,100
 Utilities97  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock109.2100
 Miscellaneous164.1  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for San Rafael    7 Reviews

Over 13 years ago

San Rafael is only 30 minutes from downtown San Francisco, but the weather is completely different. It's sunny most of the year, including in the summer when the city  More

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Over 15 years ago

I feal very safe in this town. I think getting stopped for talking on your cell phone while driving is a big deal here. Thats about all I can  More

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Over 17 years ago

Cost of living too high. Unfriendly  More

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Reviews for Scottsdale    84 Reviews

It's been a long time since I visited Scottsdale after visiting a few times a decade ago. It used to be more of an area that deserved it's punchlines for being stuck up  More

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Over 1 years ago

My son went to ASU in '99 which is how we ended up here from Northern Illinois. Over the years we came out for vacations and bought a second home until we finally made  More

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I lived in San Jose for 30 years...in the late '50s. I walked thru cherry orchards to school. After college classes, I drove 20 minutes to the beach. San Francisco was  More

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