El Cajon, CA Cost Of Living
Cost Of Living In El Cajon, CA Summary
Cost of living in El Cajon 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 El Cajon 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 El Cajon is 147, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in El Cajon is 1.5x higher than the national average.
El Cajon ranks as the #297 cheapest in California out of 634.
El Cajon ranks as the #5,616 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in El Cajon is $784,195.
The median income in El Cajon is $66,478.
Table Of Contents
El Cajon's Overall Cost Of Living
Higher Than The National Average
What is the cost of living in El Cajon, CA?
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, El Cajon has an overall cost of living index of 147, which is 1.5x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, El Cajon has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in El Cajon ranks as #297 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies El Cajon ranks as the #337 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in El Cajon, check out:
In California
In America
El Cajon Cost Of Living Vs. California
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in El Cajon. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in El Cajon is 114.
The Groceries index in El Cajon is 117.
The Health index in El Cajon is 104.
The Housing index in El Cajon is 224.
The Transportation index in El Cajon is 127.
The Utilities index in El Cajon is 106.
| Living Expense | El Cajon | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 147 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 114 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 117 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 104 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 224 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 127 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 106 | 128 | 100 | |
El Cajon, 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 El Cajon is $784,195.
The Median Rent in El Cajon is $1,790.
The Median Income in El Cajon is $66,478.
The Home Value To Income in El Cajon is 11.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in El Cajon is 0.32x.
| Statistic | El Cajon | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $784,195 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,790 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $66,478 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 11.8x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.32x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Income
El Cajon, CA Costs By Category
Detailed El Cajon Services Costs Vs. California
| Item | El Cajon | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.5 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $16.89 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $24.67 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.92 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $65.77 | $45.56 |
Detailed El Cajon Groceries Costs Vs. California
| Item | El Cajon | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.47 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $3.05 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.98 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.94 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $14.69 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.25 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.73 | $3.7 |
Detailed El Cajon Health Costs Vs. California
| Item | El Cajon | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $138.66 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $132.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $121.37 | $113.29 |
Detailed El Cajon Transportation Costs Vs. California
| Item | El Cajon | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.68 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $64.4 | $59.92 |
Detailed El Cajon Utilities Costs Vs. California
| Item | El Cajon | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $223.42 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
El Cajon SnackAbility
/10
Cost Of Living In Cities Around El Cajon
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around El Cajon. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
San Diego, CA has a cost of living index of 170, 1.2x El Cajon.
La Mesa, CA has a cost of living index of 160, 1.1x El Cajon.
Santee, CA has a cost of living index of 149, 1.0x El Cajon.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. El Cajon |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego, CA | 1,385,061 | 170 | 1.2x |
| La Mesa, CA | 60,835 | 160 | 1.1x |
| Santee, CA | 59,485 | 149 | 1.0x |
| Poway, CA | 48,515 | 176 | 1.2x |
| La Presa, CA | 36,669 | 143 | 1.0x |
| Lemon Grove, CA | 27,489 | 144 | 1.0x |
| Rancho San Diego, CA | 22,264 | 171 | 1.2x |
| Winter Gardens, CA | 22,003 | 145 | 1.0x |
| Casa de Oro-Mount Helix, CA | 19,651 | 171 | 1.2x |
| Bostonia, CA | 16,545 | 141 | 1.0x |
