How much does it cost to commute in Sacramento?
In the Sacramento metro area, households spend about 47.0% of income on the combined cost of housing and transportation, with transportation alone accounting for roughly 19.0% of income — about $16,645 per year for a typical household. (Source: CNT Housing + Transportation Affordability Index, area-median-income household.)
Public-transit fares near downtown Sacramento range from $0.50 to $270.00, with a median single-trip fare of $18.00 across 7 agencies and 350 priced origin-destination fare pairs in the data.
Driving downtown means paying about $15.87 a day to park (median of 40 sampled garages). The region has 17 priced toll facilities, with rates from $2.75 to $8.75. On a simple daily round-trip basis from the data here, the lowest-cost option is driving and parking at about $21.37 per day.
Cost by mode in Sacramento
Daily round-trip cost, lowest first. All figures.
| Mode | Daily round trip | How it's priced |
|---|---|---|
| Drive (park + toll)Cheapest | $21.37 | downtown parking $15.87/day + 2 x lowest priced toll ($2.75) |
| Public transit | $36.00 | 2 x median transit fare ($18.00) |
Public transit fares
| Agency | Fares | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority | 322 | $20.00 | $6.00–$43.00 |
| San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) | 50 | $7.00 | $0.50–$191.00 |
| SolTrans | 29 | $2.00 | $2.00–$6.00 |
| Placer County Transit | 12 | $3.70 | $1.25–$5.75 |
| Amador Transit | 9 | $3.50 | $1.00–$3.50 |
| Unitrans | 5 | $38.00 | $1.50–$270.00 |
Toll roads near Sacramento
17 priced toll facilities, rates from $2.75 to $8.75.
| Facility | Operator | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Gate Bridge | Golden Gate Bridge District | $8.75 |
| SR-73 San Joaquin Hills Toll Road | TCA | $7.50 |
| Bay Area Toll Bridges (7) | BATA | $7.00 |
| I-405 Express Lanes (Orange County) | Orange County Transportation Authority | $6.00 |
| SR-241 Foothill/Eastern Toll Road | TCA | $6.00 |
| I-680 SMART Carpool Lanes (Sunol) | Sunol Smart Corridor JPA | $5.00 |
| I-10 Express Lanes (LA Metro ExpressLanes) | LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority | $4.50 |
| I-580 Express Lanes (Alameda) | Alameda County Transportation Commission | $4.50 |
Downtown parking
Housing + Transportation affordability
The widely cited affordability benchmark is 45% for housing + transportation combined. Source: CNT H+T Index (AMI household). Typical household drives 17,134 miles/yr.
The numbers above are metro-wide medians. Enter your real origin and destination to compare drive, transit, park-and-ride, bike, and Uber by actual dollars — gas, tolls, parking, and fares included.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to commute by transit in Sacramento?
The median single-trip transit fare in the Sacramento area is $18.00, ranging from $0.50 to $270.00 depending on the agency and trip distance. A daily round trip costs roughly $36.00.
Is it cheaper to drive or take transit in Sacramento?
Taking transit costs about $36.00 for a daily round trip, while driving and parking downtown costs about $21.37 per day (parking $15.87 plus tolls from $2.75). Driving is the cheaper option on a daily basis.
How much is daily parking in downtown Sacramento?
Downtown Sacramento parking costs about $15.87 per day, or $205.49 per month for a reserved spot, based on 40 sampled garages.
What are the toll roads near Sacramento and what do they cost?
The Sacramento region has 17 priced toll facilities. The highest-rate facility is Golden Gate Bridge (Golden Gate Bridge District) at $8.75. Rates across the region run from $2.75 to $8.75.
What share of income goes to housing and transportation in Sacramento?
In the Sacramento metro, a typical household spends about 47.0% of income on housing and transportation combined, with 19.0% on transportation alone — roughly $16,645 per year. The widely cited affordability benchmark is 45% for H+T combined.