Cost of living in Malibu 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 Malibu 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 Malibu is 335, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Malibu is 3.4x higher than the national average.
Malibu ranks as the #624 cheapest in California out of 634.
Malibu ranks as the #6,479 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Malibu is $3,205,716.
The median income in Malibu is $192,159.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Malibu has an overall cost of living index of 335, which is 3.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Malibu has a cost of living index that's 2.4x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Malibu ranks as #624 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Malibu ranks as the #10 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Malibu, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Malibu. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Malibu is 117.
The Groceries index in Malibu is 114.
The Health index in Malibu is 106.
The Housing index in Malibu is 845.
The Transportation index in Malibu is 124.
The Utilities index in Malibu is 113.
| Living Expense | Malibu | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 335 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 117 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 114 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 106 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 845 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 124 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 113 | 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 Malibu is $3,205,716.
The Median Rent in Malibu is $3,501.
The Median Income in Malibu is $192,159.
The Home Value To Income in Malibu is 16.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Malibu is 0.22x.
| Statistic | Malibu | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $3,205,716 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $3,501 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $192,159 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 16.7x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.22x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Malibu | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.41 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.46 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $19.07 | $18 |
| Haircut | $24.67 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $49.33 | $45.56 |
| Item | Malibu | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.26 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.08 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.76 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.94 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $16.13 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.6 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.76 | $3.7 |
| Item | Malibu | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $129.09 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $119.86 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $108.07 | $113.29 |
| Item | Malibu | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.47 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $58.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | Malibu | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $326.49 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $182.78 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Malibu. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Simi Valley, CA has a cost of living index of 172, 0.5x Malibu.
Thousand Oaks, CA has a cost of living index of 185, 0.6x Malibu.
Santa Monica, CA has a cost of living index of 265, 0.8x Malibu.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Malibu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simi Valley, CA | 125,769 | 172 | 0.5x |
| Thousand Oaks, CA | 125,676 | 185 | 0.6x |
| Santa Monica, CA | 91,535 | 265 | 0.8x |
| Camarillo, CA | 70,244 | 170 | 0.5x |
| Moorpark, CA | 35,957 | 174 | 0.5x |
| Calabasas, CA | 22,869 | 235 | 0.7x |
| Agoura Hills, CA | 19,881 | 199 | 0.6x |
| Oak Park, CA | 13,656 | 197 | 0.6x |
| Marina del Rey, CA | 8,844 | 212 | 0.6x |
| Topanga, CA | 8,781 | 241 | 0.7x |