Capitola, CA Cost Of Living

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

Cost Of Living In Capitola, CA Summary

Cost of living in Capitola 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 Capitola 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 Capitola is 183, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Capitola is 1.8x higher than the national average.

  • Capitola ranks as the #482 cheapest in California out of 634.

  • Capitola ranks as the #6,212 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Capitola is $1,219,945.

  • The median income in Capitola is $96,412.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
183
Capitola's Overall Cost Of Living
1.8x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Capitola, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Capitola has an overall cost of living index of 183, which is 1.8x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Capitola has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than California's index of 141.

The standard of living in Capitola ranks as #482 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Capitola ranks as the #152 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in Capitola, check out:

482 out of 634
In California
6,212 out of 6,489
In America

Capitola Cost Of Living Vs. California

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

  • The Services index in Capitola is 110.

  • The Groceries index in Capitola is 117.

  • The Health index in Capitola is 122.

  • The Housing index in Capitola is 331.

  • The Transportation index in Capitola is 129.

  • The Utilities index in Capitola is 130.

Living Expense Capitola California National Average
Overall 183 141 100
Services 110 110 100
Groceries 117 112 100
Health 122 110 100
Housing 331 195 100
Transportation 129 125 100
Utilities 130 128 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
Capitola Cost of Living Vs. CA

Capitola, 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 Capitola is $1,219,945.

  • The Median Rent in Capitola is $2,376.

  • The Median Income in Capitola is $96,412.

  • The Home Value To Income in Capitola is 12.7x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Capitola is 0.3x.

Statistic Capitola California United States
Median Home Value $1,219,945 $763,287 $303,400
Median Rent $2,376 $1,956 $1,348
Median Income $96,412 $96,334 $78,538
Home Value To Income 12.7x 7.9x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.3x 0.24x 0.21x
$1,219,945
Median Home Value
$2,376
Median Rent
$96,412
Median Income

Capitola, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Capitola Services Costs Vs. California

Item Capitola California
Shampoo $1.66 $1.28
Movie $13.31 $12.13
Bowling $33.3 $18
Haircut $33.94 $24.26
Beauty Salon $48.51 $45.56

Detailed Capitola Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item Capitola California
Ground Beef $5.79 $5.84
Fried Chicken $2.13 $1.57
Milk $5.05 $4.67
Potatoes $4.77 $4.93
Pizza $14.92 $12.09
Beer $10.99 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.72 $3.7

Detailed Capitola Health Costs Vs. California

Item Capitola California
Optometrist $158.95 $125.68
Doctor $194.05 $135.78
Dentist $147.78 $113.29

Detailed Capitola Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item Capitola California
Gasoline $4.81 $3.46
Tire Balancing $65.62 $59.92

Detailed Capitola Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item Capitola California
All Electricity $294.74 $193.99
Phone $190.07 $192.25

Capitola SnackAbility

8.5
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
9/10
Housing
10
Affordability
3
Diversity
8.5
Safety
5
Amenities
9
Education
8.5
Commute
8

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Capitola

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

  • Santa Cruz, CA has a cost of living index of 205, 1.1x Capitola.

  • Watsonville, CA has a cost of living index of 152, 0.8x Capitola.

  • Los Gatos, CA has a cost of living index of 308, 1.7x Capitola.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Capitola
Santa Cruz, CA 60,953 205 1.1x
Watsonville, CA 51,968 152 0.8x
Los Gatos, CA 32,773 308 1.7x
Live Oak, CA 16,866 115 0.6x
Scotts Valley, CA 12,138 194 1.1x
Soquel, CA 10,691 180 1.0x
Rio del Mar, CA 8,938 214 1.2x
Interlaken, CA 8,191 163 0.9x
Castroville, CA 6,870 158 0.9x
Ben Lomond, CA 6,849 191 1.0x

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