East Palo Alto, CA Cost Of Living

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

Cost Of Living In East Palo Alto, CA Summary

Cost of living in East Palo Alto 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 East Palo Alto 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 East Palo Alto is 207, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in East Palo Alto is 2.1x higher than the national average.

  • East Palo Alto ranks as the #542 cheapest in California out of 634.

  • East Palo Alto ranks as the #6,344 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in East Palo Alto is $995,792.

  • The median income in East Palo Alto is $104,832.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
207
East Palo Alto's Overall Cost Of Living
2.1x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in East Palo Alto, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, East Palo Alto has an overall cost of living index of 207, which is 2.1x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, East Palo Alto has a cost of living index that's 1.5x higher than California's index of 141.

The standard of living in East Palo Alto ranks as #542 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies East Palo Alto ranks as the #92 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in East Palo Alto, check out:

542 out of 634
In California
6,344 out of 6,489
In America

East Palo Alto Cost Of Living Vs. California

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

  • The Services index in East Palo Alto is 107.

  • The Groceries index in East Palo Alto is 116.

  • The Health index in East Palo Alto is 124.

  • The Housing index in East Palo Alto is 415.

  • The Transportation index in East Palo Alto is 128.

  • The Utilities index in East Palo Alto is 132.

Living Expense East Palo Alto California National Average
Overall 207 141 100
Services 107 110 100
Groceries 116 112 100
Health 124 110 100
Housing 415 195 100
Transportation 128 125 100
Utilities 132 128 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
East Palo Alto Cost of Living Vs. CA

East Palo Alto, 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 East Palo Alto is $995,792.

  • The Median Rent in East Palo Alto is $2,209.

  • The Median Income in East Palo Alto is $104,832.

  • The Home Value To Income in East Palo Alto is 9.5x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in East Palo Alto is 0.25x.

Statistic East Palo Alto California United States
Median Home Value $995,792 $763,287 $303,400
Median Rent $2,209 $1,956 $1,348
Median Income $104,832 $96,334 $78,538
Home Value To Income 9.5x 7.9x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.25x 0.24x 0.21x
$995,792
Median Home Value
$2,209
Median Rent
$104,832
Median Income

East Palo Alto, CA Costs By Category

Detailed East Palo Alto Services Costs Vs. California

Item East Palo Alto 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 East Palo Alto Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item East Palo Alto 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 East Palo Alto Health Costs Vs. California

Item East Palo Alto California
Optometrist $158.95 $125.68
Doctor $194.05 $135.78
Dentist $147.78 $113.29

Detailed East Palo Alto Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item East Palo Alto California
Gasoline $4.81 $3.46
Tire Balancing $65.62 $59.92

Detailed East Palo Alto Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item East Palo Alto California
All Electricity $294.74 $193.99
Phone $190.07 $192.25

East Palo Alto SnackAbility

8
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8.5/10
Housing
10
Affordability
3
Diversity
9
Safety
5
Amenities
9.5
Education
5
Commute
7

Cost Of Living In Cities Around East Palo Alto

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

  • Sunnyvale, CA has a cost of living index of 266, 1.3x East Palo Alto.

  • San Mateo, CA has a cost of living index of 248, 1.2x East Palo Alto.

  • Mountain View, CA has a cost of living index of 283, 1.4x East Palo Alto.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. East Palo Alto
Sunnyvale, CA 153,455 266 1.3x
San Mateo, CA 103,555 248 1.2x
Mountain View, CA 82,363 283 1.4x
Pleasanton, CA 77,500 226 1.1x
Palo Alto, CA 67,231 334 1.6x
Cupertino, CA 58,886 326 1.6x
Newark, CA 47,145 198 1.0x
San Bruno, CA 42,612 220 1.1x
Menlo Park, CA 32,775 334 1.6x
Los Altos, CA 30,736 339 1.6x

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