Santa Clara, CA Cost Of Living

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

Cost Of Living In Santa Clara, CA Summary

Cost of living in Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara is 192, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Santa Clara is 1.9x higher than the national average.

  • Santa Clara ranks as the #559 cheapest in California out of 635.

  • Santa Clara ranks as the #6,284 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.

  • The median home value in Santa Clara is $1,199,500.

  • The median income in Santa Clara is $150,244.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
192
Santa Clara's Overall Cost Of Living
1.9x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Santa Clara, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Santa Clara has an overall cost of living index of 192, which is 1.9x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Santa Clara has a cost of living index that's 1.4x higher than California's index of 139.

The standard of living in Santa Clara ranks as #559 most affordable out of the 635 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Santa Clara ranks as the #76 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in Santa Clara, check out:

559 out of 635
In California
6,284 out of 6,412
In America

Santa Clara Cost Of Living Vs. California

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

  • The Services index in Santa Clara is 119.

  • The Groceries index in Santa Clara is 133.

  • The Health index in Santa Clara is 123.

  • The Housing index in Santa Clara is 340.

  • The Transportation index in Santa Clara is 144.

  • The Utilities index in Santa Clara is 138.

Living Expense Santa Clara California National Average
Overall 192 139 100
Services 119 110 100
Groceries 133 112 100
Health 123 109 100
Housing 340 204 100
Transportation 144 126 100
Utilities 138 124 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
Santa Clara Cost of Living Vs. CA

Santa Clara, 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 Santa Clara is $1,199,500.

  • The Median Rent in Santa Clara is $2,652.

  • The Median Income in Santa Clara is $150,244.

  • The Home Value To Income in Santa Clara is 8.0x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Santa Clara is 0.21x.

Statistic Santa Clara California United States
Median Home Value $1,199,500 $573,200 $244,900
Median Rent $2,652 $1,698 $1,163
Median Income $150,244 $84,097 $69,021
Home Value To Income 8.0x 6.8x 3.5x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.21x 0.24x 0.2x
Search Homes For Sale In Santa Clara, CA
$1,199,500
Median Home Value
$2,652
Median Rent
$150,244
Median Income

Santa Clara, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Santa Clara Services Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Clara California
Shampoo $1.39 $1.06
Movie $13.23 $10.68
Bowling $19.56 $14.67
Haircut $19.39 $18.62
Beauty Salon $67.86 $39.05

Detailed Santa Clara Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Clara California
Ground Beef $3.73 $4.22
Fried Chicken $1.89 $1.39
Milk $2.87 $2.05
Potatoes $3.35 $3.29
Pizza $12.66 $10.62
Beer $10.57 $9.38
Toothpaste $3.07 $2.34

Detailed Santa Clara Health Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Clara California
Optometrist $136.92 $108.57
Doctor $146.83 $116.17
Dentist $133.38 $99.13

Detailed Santa Clara Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Clara California
Gasoline $3.38 $2.22
Tire Balancing $62.03 $50.07

Detailed Santa Clara Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Clara California
All Electricity $269.4 $167.67
Phone $187.26 $175.64

Santa Clara SnackAbility

9
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8.5/10
Housing
10
Affordability
4
Diversity
10
Safety
6
Amenities
10
Education
8.5
Commute
8

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Santa Clara

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

  • Sunnyvale, CA has a cost of living index of 204, 1.1x Santa Clara.

  • Mountain View, CA has a cost of living index of 220, 1.1x Santa Clara.

  • Milpitas, CA has a cost of living index of 181, 0.9x Santa Clara.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Santa Clara
Sunnyvale, CA 155,550 204 1.1x
Mountain View, CA 82,409 220 1.1x
Milpitas, CA 79,593 181 0.9x
Cupertino, CA 60,681 252 1.3x
Campbell, CA 43,954 199 1.0x
Menlo Park, CA 33,677 289 1.5x
Los Altos, CA 31,562 340 1.8x
Saratoga, CA 31,194 310 1.6x
San Carlos, CA 30,754 237 1.2x
North Fair Oaks, CA 14,360 179 0.9x

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