Cost of living in Burlingame 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 Burlingame 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 Burlingame is 336, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Burlingame is 3.4x higher than the national average.
Burlingame ranks as the #626 cheapest in California out of 634.
Burlingame ranks as the #6,481 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Burlingame is $2,585,405.
The median income in Burlingame is $168,832.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Burlingame has an overall cost of living index of 336, which is 3.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Burlingame has a cost of living index that's 2.4x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Burlingame ranks as #626 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Burlingame ranks as the #8 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Burlingame, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Burlingame. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Burlingame is 121.
The Groceries index in Burlingame is 125.
The Health index in Burlingame is 123.
The Housing index in Burlingame is 829.
The Transportation index in Burlingame is 133.
The Utilities index in Burlingame is 137.
| Living Expense | Burlingame | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 336 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 121 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 125 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 123 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 829 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 133 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 137 | 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 Burlingame is $2,585,405.
The Median Rent in Burlingame is $2,643.
The Median Income in Burlingame is $168,832.
The Home Value To Income in Burlingame is 15.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Burlingame is 0.19x.
| Statistic | Burlingame | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $2,585,405 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,643 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $168,832 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 15.3x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.19x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Burlingame | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.65 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $16.02 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $24.01 | $18 |
| Haircut | $28.38 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $85.43 | $45.56 |
| Item | Burlingame | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.23 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.11 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $5.18 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.98 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $15.74 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.21 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $4.09 | $3.7 |
| Item | Burlingame | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $159.79 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $174.45 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $155.36 | $113.29 |
| Item | Burlingame | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.63 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $75.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | Burlingame | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $298.77 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $203.63 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Burlingame. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
San Mateo, CA has a cost of living index of 248, 0.7x Burlingame.
South San Francisco, CA has a cost of living index of 213, 0.6x Burlingame.
San Bruno, CA has a cost of living index of 220, 0.7x Burlingame.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Burlingame |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo, CA | 103,555 | 248 | 0.7x |
| South San Francisco, CA | 64,487 | 213 | 0.6x |
| San Bruno, CA | 42,612 | 220 | 0.7x |
| Pacifica, CA | 37,527 | 220 | 0.7x |
| Menlo Park, CA | 32,775 | 334 | 1.0x |
| San Carlos, CA | 29,797 | 311 | 0.9x |
| San Lorenzo, CA | 29,453 | 170 | 0.5x |
| Belmont, CA | 27,505 | 294 | 0.9x |
| Millbrae, CA | 22,589 | 289 | 0.9x |
| North Fair Oaks, CA | 13,327 | 214 | 0.6x |