El Cajon, CA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2023-11-15

Cost Of Living In El Cajon, CA Summary

Cost of living in El Cajon research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means El Cajon is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

  • The cost of living index in El Cajon is 134, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in El Cajon is 1.3x higher than the national average.

  • El Cajon ranks as the #312 cheapest in California out of 635.

  • El Cajon ranks as the #5,400 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.

  • The median home value in El Cajon is $492,500.

  • The median income in El Cajon is $58,193.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
134
El Cajon's Overall Cost Of Living
1.3x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in El Cajon, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, El Cajon has an overall cost of living index of 134, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, El Cajon has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than California's index of 139.

The standard of living in El Cajon ranks as #312 most affordable out of the 635 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies El Cajon ranks as the #323 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in El Cajon, check out:

312 out of 635
In California
5,400 out of 6,412
In America

El Cajon Cost Of Living Vs. California

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in El Cajon. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in El Cajon is 109.

  • The Groceries index in El Cajon is 112.

  • The Health index in El Cajon is 109.

  • The Housing index in El Cajon is 177.

  • The Transportation index in El Cajon is 137.

  • The Utilities index in El Cajon is 127.

Living Expense El Cajon California National Average
Overall 134 139 100
Services 109 110 100
Groceries 112 112 100
Health 109 109 100
Housing 177 204 100
Transportation 137 126 100
Utilities 127 124 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
El Cajon Cost of Living Vs. CA

El Cajon, CA Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in El Cajon is $492,500.

  • The Median Rent in El Cajon is $1,500.

  • The Median Income in El Cajon is $58,193.

  • The Home Value To Income in El Cajon is 8.5x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in El Cajon is 0.31x.

Statistic El Cajon California United States
Median Home Value $492,500 $573,200 $244,900
Median Rent $1,500 $1,698 $1,163
Median Income $58,193 $84,097 $69,021
Home Value To Income 8.5x 6.8x 3.5x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.31x 0.24x 0.2x
Search Homes For Sale In El Cajon, CA
$492,500
Median Home Value
$1,500
Median Rent
$58,193
Median Income

El Cajon, CA Costs By Category

Detailed El Cajon Services Costs Vs. California

Item El Cajon California
Shampoo $1.2 $1.06
Movie $14.42 $10.68
Bowling $22.0 $14.67
Haircut $22.68 $18.62
Beauty Salon $64.57 $39.05

Detailed El Cajon Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item El Cajon California
Ground Beef $4.58 $4.22
Fried Chicken $1.72 $1.39
Milk $2.19 $2.05
Potatoes $2.99 $3.29
Pizza $11.43 $10.62
Beer $9.82 $9.38
Toothpaste $2.48 $2.34

Detailed El Cajon Health Costs Vs. California

Item El Cajon California
Optometrist $117.65 $108.57
Doctor $125.0 $116.17
Dentist $107.18 $99.13

Detailed El Cajon Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item El Cajon California
Gasoline $3.24 $2.22
Tire Balancing $56.47 $50.07

Detailed El Cajon Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item El Cajon California
All Electricity $247.56 $167.67
Phone $176.01 $175.64

El Cajon SnackAbility

7
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
6/10
Housing
9
Affordability
3
Diversity
9
Safety
5
Amenities
10
Education
6
Commute
6

Cost Of Living In Cities Around El Cajon

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around El Cajon. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • San Diego, CA has a cost of living index of 150, 1.1x El Cajon.

  • La Mesa, CA has a cost of living index of 144, 1.1x El Cajon.

  • Santee, CA has a cost of living index of 136, 1.0x El Cajon.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. El Cajon
San Diego, CA 1,385,398 150 1.1x
La Mesa, CA 61,040 144 1.1x
Santee, CA 59,679 136 1.0x
Poway, CA 49,005 160 1.2x
La Presa, CA 38,492 128 1.0x
Lemon Grove, CA 27,513 133 1.0x
Rancho San Diego, CA 22,019 158 1.2x
Winter Gardens, CA 21,978 132 1.0x
Casa de Oro-Mount Helix, CA 19,804 164 1.2x
Bostonia, CA 18,074 124 0.9x

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