Cost of living in Alameda 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 Alameda 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 Alameda is 208, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Alameda is 2.1x higher than the national average.
Alameda ranks as the #544 cheapest in California out of 634.
Alameda ranks as the #6,347 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Alameda is $1,112,370.
The median income in Alameda is $132,015.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Alameda has an overall cost of living index of 208, which is 2.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Alameda has a cost of living index that's 1.5x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Alameda ranks as #544 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Alameda ranks as the #90 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Alameda, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Alameda. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Alameda is 112.
The Groceries index in Alameda is 119.
The Health index in Alameda is 122.
The Housing index in Alameda is 412.
The Transportation index in Alameda is 127.
The Utilities index in Alameda is 136.
| Living Expense | Alameda | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 208 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 112 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 119 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 122 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 412 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 127 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 136 | 128 | 100 | |
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 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Alameda is $1,112,370.
The Median Rent in Alameda is $2,394.
The Median Income in Alameda is $132,015.
The Home Value To Income in Alameda is 8.4x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Alameda is 0.22x.
| Statistic | Alameda | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,112,370 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,394 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $132,015 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 8.4x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.22x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Alameda | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.45 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $16.46 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $27.22 | $18 |
| Haircut | $25.0 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $76.0 | $45.56 |
| Item | Alameda | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.7 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $3.43 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.91 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.87 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $13.49 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.18 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.64 | $3.7 |
| Item | Alameda | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $137.4 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $110.0 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $118.27 | $113.29 |
| Item | Alameda | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.6 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $60.97 | $59.92 |
| Item | Alameda | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $182.51 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Alameda. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Oakland, CA has a cost of living index of 183, 0.9x Alameda.
Berkeley, CA has a cost of living index of 223, 1.1x Alameda.
San Mateo, CA has a cost of living index of 248, 1.2x Alameda.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Alameda |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland, CA | 438,072 | 183 | 0.9x |
| Berkeley, CA | 120,223 | 223 | 1.1x |
| San Mateo, CA | 103,555 | 248 | 1.2x |
| San Leandro, CA | 88,531 | 173 | 0.8x |
| San Ramon, CA | 85,734 | 222 | 1.1x |
| South San Francisco, CA | 64,487 | 213 | 1.0x |
| San Bruno, CA | 42,612 | 220 | 1.1x |
| San Carlos, CA | 29,797 | 311 | 1.5x |
| San Lorenzo, CA | 29,453 | 170 | 0.8x |
| Belmont, CA | 27,505 | 294 | 1.4x |