Cost of living in Imperial Beach 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 Imperial Beach 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 Imperial Beach is 160, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Imperial Beach is 1.6x higher than the national average.
Imperial Beach ranks as the #377 cheapest in California out of 634.
Imperial Beach ranks as the #5,900 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Imperial Beach is $820,807.
The median income in Imperial Beach is $79,071.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Imperial Beach has an overall cost of living index of 160, which is 1.6x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Imperial Beach has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Imperial Beach ranks as #377 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Imperial Beach ranks as the #257 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Imperial Beach, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Imperial Beach. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Imperial Beach is 113.
The Groceries index in Imperial Beach is 114.
The Health index in Imperial Beach is 107.
The Housing index in Imperial Beach is 270.
The Transportation index in Imperial Beach is 126.
The Utilities index in Imperial Beach is 107.
| Living Expense | Imperial Beach | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 160 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 113 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 114 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 107 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 270 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 126 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 107 | 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 Imperial Beach is $820,807.
The Median Rent in Imperial Beach is $1,914.
The Median Income in Imperial Beach is $79,071.
The Home Value To Income in Imperial Beach is 10.4x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Imperial Beach is 0.29x.
| Statistic | Imperial Beach | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $820,807 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,914 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $79,071 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 10.4x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.29x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Imperial Beach | 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 |
| Item | Imperial Beach | 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 |
| Item | Imperial Beach | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $138.66 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $132.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $121.37 | $113.29 |
| Item | Imperial Beach | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.68 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $64.4 | $59.92 |
| Item | Imperial Beach | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $223.42 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Imperial Beach. 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, 1.1x Imperial Beach.
Chula Vista, CA has a cost of living index of 157, 1.0x Imperial Beach.
La Mesa, CA has a cost of living index of 160, 1.0x Imperial Beach.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Imperial Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego, CA | 1,385,061 | 170 | 1.1x |
| Chula Vista, CA | 275,030 | 157 | 1.0x |
| La Mesa, CA | 60,835 | 160 | 1.0x |
| La Presa, CA | 36,669 | 143 | 0.9x |
| Lemon Grove, CA | 27,489 | 144 | 0.9x |
| Rancho San Diego, CA | 22,264 | 171 | 1.1x |
| Casa de Oro-Mount Helix, CA | 19,651 | 171 | 1.1x |
| Coronado, CA | 18,558 | 294 | 1.8x |
| Bonita, CA | 13,336 | 175 | 1.1x |
| Jamul, CA | 6,617 | 185 | 1.2x |