Sunnyvale, CA Cost Of Living

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

Cost Of Living In Sunnyvale, CA Summary

Cost of living in Sunnyvale 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 Sunnyvale 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 Sunnyvale is 204, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Sunnyvale is 2.0x higher than the national average.

  • Sunnyvale ranks as the #578 cheapest in California out of 635.

  • Sunnyvale ranks as the #6,322 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.

  • The median home value in Sunnyvale is $1,528,500.

  • The median income in Sunnyvale is $161,670.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
204
Sunnyvale's Overall Cost Of Living
2.0x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Sunnyvale, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Sunnyvale has an overall cost of living index of 204, which is 2.0x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Sunnyvale has a cost of living index that's 1.5x higher than California's index of 139.

The standard of living in Sunnyvale ranks as #578 most affordable out of the 635 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Sunnyvale ranks as the #57 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in Sunnyvale, check out:

578 out of 635
In California
6,322 out of 6,412
In America

Sunnyvale Cost Of Living Vs. California

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

  • The Services index in Sunnyvale is 117.

  • The Groceries index in Sunnyvale is 134.

  • The Health index in Sunnyvale is 125.

  • The Housing index in Sunnyvale is 389.

  • The Transportation index in Sunnyvale is 145.

  • The Utilities index in Sunnyvale is 135.

Living Expense Sunnyvale California National Average
Overall 204 139 100
Services 117 110 100
Groceries 134 112 100
Health 125 109 100
Housing 389 204 100
Transportation 145 126 100
Utilities 135 124 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
Sunnyvale Cost of Living Vs. CA

Sunnyvale, 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 Sunnyvale is $1,528,500.

  • The Median Rent in Sunnyvale is $2,837.

  • The Median Income in Sunnyvale is $161,670.

  • The Home Value To Income in Sunnyvale is 9.5x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Sunnyvale is 0.21x.

Statistic Sunnyvale California United States
Median Home Value $1,528,500 $573,200 $244,900
Median Rent $2,837 $1,698 $1,163
Median Income $161,670 $84,097 $69,021
Home Value To Income 9.5x 6.8x 3.5x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.21x 0.24x 0.2x
Search Homes For Sale In Sunnyvale, CA
$1,528,500
Median Home Value
$2,837
Median Rent
$161,670
Median Income

Sunnyvale, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Sunnyvale Services Costs Vs. California

Item Sunnyvale 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 Sunnyvale Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item Sunnyvale 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 Sunnyvale Health Costs Vs. California

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

Detailed Sunnyvale Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item Sunnyvale California
Gasoline $3.38 $2.22
Tire Balancing $62.03 $50.07

Detailed Sunnyvale Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item Sunnyvale California
All Electricity $269.4 $167.67
Phone $187.26 $175.64

Sunnyvale SnackAbility

9.5
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
9/10
Housing
10
Affordability
4
Diversity
9.5
Safety
7
Amenities
10
Education
9
Commute
7

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Sunnyvale

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

  • Santa Clara, CA has a cost of living index of 192, 0.9x Sunnyvale.

  • San Mateo, CA has a cost of living index of 205, 1.0x Sunnyvale.

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

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Sunnyvale
Santa Clara, CA 127,922 192 0.9x
San Mateo, CA 105,087 205 1.0x
Mountain View, CA 82,409 220 1.1x
Palo Alto, CA 68,624 303 1.5x
Cupertino, CA 60,681 252 1.2x
Menlo Park, CA 33,677 289 1.4x
Los Altos, CA 31,562 340 1.7x
Saratoga, CA 31,194 310 1.5x
San Carlos, CA 30,754 237 1.2x
Belmont, CA 28,109 231 1.1x

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