Cambria, CA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Cambria, CA Summary

Cost of living in Cambria 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 Cambria 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 Cambria is 171, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Cambria is 1.7x higher than the national average.

  • Cambria ranks as the #441 cheapest in California out of 634.

  • Cambria ranks as the #6,086 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Cambria is $984,131.

  • The median income in Cambria is $89,049.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
171
Cambria's Overall Cost Of Living
1.7x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Cambria, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Cambria has an overall cost of living index of 171, which is 1.7x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Cambria has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than California's index of 141.

The standard of living in Cambria ranks as #441 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Cambria ranks as the #193 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in Cambria, check out:

441 out of 634
In California
6,086 out of 6,489
In America

Cambria Cost Of Living Vs. California

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

  • The Services index in Cambria is 106.

  • The Groceries index in Cambria is 106.

  • The Health index in Cambria is 95.

  • The Housing index in Cambria is 299.

  • The Transportation index in Cambria is 128.

  • The Utilities index in Cambria is 156.

Living Expense Cambria California National Average
Overall 171 141 100
Services 106 110 100
Groceries 106 112 100
Health 95 110 100
Housing 299 195 100
Transportation 128 125 100
Utilities 156 128 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
Cambria Cost of Living Vs. CA

Cambria, 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 2019-2023. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Cambria is $984,131.

  • The Median Rent in Cambria is $1,923.

  • The Median Income in Cambria is $89,049.

  • The Home Value To Income in Cambria is 11.1x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Cambria is 0.26x.

Statistic Cambria California United States
Median Home Value $984,131 $763,287 $303,400
Median Rent $1,923 $1,956 $1,348
Median Income $89,049 $96,334 $78,538
Home Value To Income 11.1x 7.9x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.26x 0.24x 0.21x
$984,131
Median Home Value
$1,923
Median Rent
$89,049
Median Income

Cambria, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Cambria Services Costs Vs. California

Item Cambria California
Shampoo $1.48 $1.28
Movie $18.12 $12.13
Bowling $22.67 $18
Haircut $26.25 $24.26
Beauty Salon $89.33 $45.56

Detailed Cambria Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item Cambria California
Ground Beef $5.77 $5.84
Fried Chicken $2.63 $1.57
Milk $4.91 $4.67
Potatoes $4.9 $4.93
Pizza $13.49 $12.09
Beer $11.13 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.75 $3.7

Detailed Cambria Health Costs Vs. California

Item Cambria California
Optometrist $142.2 $125.68
Doctor $131.33 $135.78
Dentist $131.5 $113.29

Detailed Cambria Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item Cambria California
Gasoline $4.62 $3.46
Tire Balancing $61.0 $59.92

Detailed Cambria Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item Cambria California
All Electricity $231.4 $193.99
Phone $193.81 $192.25

Cambria SnackAbility

7
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
7/10
Housing
9
Affordability
4
Diversity
8.5
Safety
N/A
Amenities
6
Education
9
Commute
8

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Cambria

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

  • San Luis Obispo, CA has a cost of living index of 172, 1.0x Cambria.

  • El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CA has a cost of living index of 148, 0.9x Cambria.

  • Atascadero, CA has a cost of living index of 153, 0.9x Cambria.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Cambria
San Luis Obispo, CA 48,039 172 1.0x
El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CA 31,399 148 0.9x
Atascadero, CA 29,735 153 0.9x
Arroyo Grande, CA 18,412 167 1.0x
Nipomo, CA 17,266 162 0.9x
Los Osos, CA 15,048 163 1.0x
Grover Beach, CA 12,687 157 0.9x
Morro Bay, CA 10,717 169 1.0x
Templeton, CA 8,608 166 1.0x
Guadalupe, CA 8,422 129 0.8x

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