El Cerrito, CA Cost Of Living

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

Cost Of Living In El Cerrito, CA Summary

Cost of living in El Cerrito 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 Cerrito 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 Cerrito is 201, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in El Cerrito is 2.0x higher than the national average.

  • El Cerrito ranks as the #528 cheapest in California out of 634.

  • El Cerrito ranks as the #6,312 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in El Cerrito is $1,073,471.

  • The median income in El Cerrito is $122,472.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
201
El Cerrito's Overall Cost Of Living
2.0x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in El Cerrito, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, El Cerrito has an overall cost of living index of 201, which is 2.0x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, El Cerrito has a cost of living index that's 1.4x higher than California's index of 141.

The standard of living in El Cerrito ranks as #528 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies El Cerrito ranks as the #106 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in El Cerrito, check out:

528 out of 634
In California
6,312 out of 6,489
In America

El Cerrito Cost Of Living Vs. California

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

  • The Services index in El Cerrito is 115.

  • The Groceries index in El Cerrito is 118.

  • The Health index in El Cerrito is 122.

  • The Housing index in El Cerrito is 388.

  • The Transportation index in El Cerrito is 130.

  • The Utilities index in El Cerrito is 134.

Living Expense El Cerrito California National Average
Overall 201 141 100
Services 115 110 100
Groceries 118 112 100
Health 122 110 100
Housing 388 195 100
Transportation 130 125 100
Utilities 134 128 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
El Cerrito Cost of Living Vs. CA

El Cerrito, 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 Cerrito is $1,073,471.

  • The Median Rent in El Cerrito is $1,776.

  • The Median Income in El Cerrito is $122,472.

  • The Home Value To Income in El Cerrito is 8.8x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in El Cerrito is 0.17x.

Statistic El Cerrito California United States
Median Home Value $1,073,471 $763,287 $303,400
Median Rent $1,776 $1,956 $1,348
Median Income $122,472 $96,334 $78,538
Home Value To Income 8.8x 7.9x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.17x 0.24x 0.21x
$1,073,471
Median Home Value
$1,776
Median Rent
$122,472
Median Income

El Cerrito, CA Costs By Category

Detailed El Cerrito Services Costs Vs. California

Item El Cerrito California
Shampoo $1.45 $1.28
Movie $16.46 $12.13
Bowling $27.22 $18
Haircut $25.0 $24.26
Beauty Salon $76.0 $45.56

Detailed El Cerrito Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item El Cerrito California
Ground Beef $5.7 $5.84
Fried Chicken $3.43 $1.57
Milk $4.91 $4.67
Potatoes $4.87 $4.93
Pizza $13.49 $12.09
Beer $11.18 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.64 $3.7

Detailed El Cerrito Health Costs Vs. California

Item El Cerrito California
Optometrist $137.4 $125.68
Doctor $110.0 $135.78
Dentist $118.27 $113.29

Detailed El Cerrito Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item El Cerrito California
Gasoline $4.6 $3.46
Tire Balancing $60.97 $59.92

Detailed El Cerrito Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item El Cerrito California
All Electricity $182.51 $193.99
Phone $180.31 $192.25

El Cerrito SnackAbility

6
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8/10
Housing
9
Affordability
6
Diversity
9
Safety
4
Amenities
8
Education
6
Commute
3

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