Berkeley, CA Cost Of Living
Berkeley's Overall Cost Of Living
Higher Than The National Average
In California
In America
What is the cost of living in Berkeley, CA?
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Berkeley has an overall cost of living index of 194 which is 1.9x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to only California, Berkeley has a cost of living index that's 1.4x higher than California's index of 140.
The standard of living in Berkeley ranks as #6,300 most affordable out of the 6,418 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Berkeley ranks as the #119 most expensive place in the Golden State.
Berkeley Cost Of Living Vs. California
| Living Expense | Berkeley | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 194 | 140 | 100 | |
| Services | 120 | 112 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 134 | 113 | 100 | |
| Health | 126 | 115 | 100 | |
| Housing | 348 | 198 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 145 | 134 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 138 | 126 | 100 | |
Berkeley, CA Housing Cost Breakdown
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down the statistics around housing costs into more detail. It's also important to consider median household incomes to make apples-to-apples comparisons across locations.
Home and income come data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2014-2018.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Income
| Statistic | Berkeley | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,059,500 | $538,500 | $229,800 |
| Median Rent | $1,767 | $1,586 | $1,096 |
| Median Income | $91,259 | $78,672 | $64,994 |
| Home Value To Income | 11.6x | 6.8x | 3.5x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.24x | 0.2x |
Detailed Berkeley Services Costs Vs. California
| Item | Berkeley | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.39 | $1.06 |
| Movie | $13.23 | $10.68 |
| Bowling | $19.56 | $14.67 |
Detailed Berkeley Groceries Costs Vs. California
| Item | Berkeley | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $3.73 | $4.22 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.89 | $1.39 |
| Milk | $2.87 | $2.05 |
Detailed Berkeley Health Costs Vs. California
| Item | Berkeley | California |
|---|---|---|
| Haircut | $19.39 | $18.62 |
| Beauty Salon | $67.86 | $39.05 |
| Toothpaste | $3.07 | $2.34 |
Detailed Berkeley Transportation Costs Vs. California
| Item | Berkeley | California |
|---|---|---|
| Potatoes | $3.35 | $3.29 |
| Pizza | $12.66 | $10.62 |
| Beer | $10.57 | $9.38 |
| Optometrist | $136.92 | $108.57 |
| Doctor | $146.83 | $116.17 |
| Dentist | $133.38 | $99.13 |
Detailed Berkeley Utilities Costs Vs. California
| Item | Berkeley | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.38 | $2.22 |
| Tire Balancing | $62.03 | $50.07 |
| All Electricity | $269.4 | $167.67 |
| Phone | $187.26 | $175.64 |
Berkeley SnackAbility
/10
Cost Of Living In Cities Around Berkeley
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Berkeley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, CA | 110,051 | 137 | 0.7x |
| Mountain View, CA | 80,104 | 220 | 1.1x |
| South San Francisco, CA | 66,878 | 182 | 0.9x |
| San Bruno, CA | 44,663 | 184 | 0.9x |
| San Pablo, CA | 30,959 | 126 | 0.6x |
| San Lorenzo, CA | 30,117 | 151 | 0.8x |
| El Cerrito, CA | 25,280 | 177 | 0.9x |
| Millbrae, CA | 22,998 | 229 | 1.2x |
| Albany, CA | 20,145 | 185 | 1.0x |
| Orinda, CA | 19,461 | 240 | 1.2x |
