Cost of living in Half Moon Bay 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 Half Moon Bay 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 Half Moon Bay is 239, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Half Moon Bay is 2.4x higher than the national average.
Half Moon Bay ranks as the #580 cheapest in California out of 634.
Half Moon Bay ranks as the #6,418 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Half Moon Bay is $1,519,908.
The median income in Half Moon Bay is $153,199.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Half Moon Bay has an overall cost of living index of 239, which is 2.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Half Moon Bay has a cost of living index that's 1.7x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Half Moon Bay ranks as #580 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Half Moon Bay ranks as the #54 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Half Moon Bay, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Half Moon Bay. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Half Moon Bay is 121.
The Groceries index in Half Moon Bay is 125.
The Health index in Half Moon Bay is 127.
The Housing index in Half Moon Bay is 499.
The Transportation index in Half Moon Bay is 132.
The Utilities index in Half Moon Bay is 137.
| Living Expense | Half Moon Bay | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 239 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 121 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 125 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 127 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 499 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 132 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 137 | 128 | 100 | |
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 Half Moon Bay is $1,519,908.
The Median Rent in Half Moon Bay is $2,299.
The Median Income in Half Moon Bay is $153,199.
The Home Value To Income in Half Moon Bay is 9.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Half Moon Bay is 0.18x.
| Statistic | Half Moon Bay | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,519,908 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,299 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $153,199 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 9.9x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.18x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Half Moon Bay | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.65 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $16.02 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $24.01 | $18 |
| Haircut | $28.38 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $85.43 | $45.56 |
| Item | Half Moon Bay | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.23 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.11 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $5.18 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.98 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $15.74 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.21 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $4.09 | $3.7 |
| Item | Half Moon Bay | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $159.79 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $174.45 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $155.36 | $113.29 |
| Item | Half Moon Bay | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.63 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $75.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | Half Moon Bay | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $298.77 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $203.63 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Half Moon Bay. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
San Mateo, CA has a cost of living index of 248, 1.0x Half Moon Bay.
South San Francisco, CA has a cost of living index of 213, 0.9x Half Moon Bay.
San Bruno, CA has a cost of living index of 220, 0.9x Half Moon Bay.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Half Moon Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo, CA | 103,555 | 248 | 1.0x |
| South San Francisco, CA | 64,487 | 213 | 0.9x |
| San Bruno, CA | 42,612 | 220 | 0.9x |
| Pacifica, CA | 37,527 | 220 | 0.9x |
| Menlo Park, CA | 32,775 | 334 | 1.4x |
| Burlingame, CA | 30,526 | 336 | 1.4x |
| San Carlos, CA | 29,797 | 311 | 1.3x |
| Belmont, CA | 27,505 | 294 | 1.2x |
| Millbrae, CA | 22,589 | 289 | 1.2x |
| North Fair Oaks, CA | 13,327 | 214 | 0.9x |