Cost of living in Los Altos Hills 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 Los Altos Hills 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 Los Altos Hills is 335, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Los Altos Hills is 3.4x higher than the national average.
Los Altos Hills ranks as the #624 cheapest in California out of 634.
Los Altos Hills ranks as the #6,479 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Los Altos Hills is $5,764,119.
The median income in Los Altos Hills is $250,001.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Los Altos Hills has an overall cost of living index of 335, which is 3.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Los Altos Hills has a cost of living index that's 2.4x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Los Altos Hills ranks as #624 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Los Altos Hills ranks as the #10 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Los Altos Hills, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Los Altos Hills. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Los Altos Hills is 109.
The Groceries index in Los Altos Hills is 113.
The Health index in Los Altos Hills is 124.
The Housing index in Los Altos Hills is 850.
The Transportation index in Los Altos Hills is 130.
The Utilities index in Los Altos Hills is 132.
| Living Expense | Los Altos Hills | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 335 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 109 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 113 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 124 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 850 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 130 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 132 | 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 Los Altos Hills is $5,764,119.
The Median Rent in Los Altos Hills is $3,501.
The Median Income in Los Altos Hills is $250,001.
The Home Value To Income in Los Altos Hills is 23.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Los Altos Hills is 0.17x.
| Statistic | Los Altos Hills | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $5,764,119 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $3,501 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $250,001 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 23.1x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.17x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Los Altos Hills | 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 |
| Item | Los Altos Hills | 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 |
| Item | Los Altos Hills | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $158.95 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $194.05 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $147.78 | $113.29 |
| Item | Los Altos Hills | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.81 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $65.62 | $59.92 |
| Item | Los Altos Hills | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $294.74 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.07 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Los Altos Hills. 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, 0.8x Los Altos Hills.
Santa Clara, CA has a cost of living index of 234, 0.7x Los Altos Hills.
San Mateo, CA has a cost of living index of 248, 0.7x Los Altos Hills.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Los Altos Hills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyvale, CA | 153,455 | 266 | 0.8x |
| Santa Clara, CA | 129,239 | 234 | 0.7x |
| San Mateo, CA | 103,555 | 248 | 0.7x |
| Mountain View, CA | 82,363 | 283 | 0.8x |
| Palo Alto, CA | 67,231 | 334 | 1.0x |
| Cupertino, CA | 58,886 | 326 | 1.0x |
| Menlo Park, CA | 32,775 | 334 | 1.0x |
| Los Altos, CA | 30,736 | 339 | 1.0x |
| San Carlos, CA | 29,797 | 311 | 0.9x |
| Belmont, CA | 27,505 | 294 | 0.9x |