Cost of living in Mammoth Lakes 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 Mammoth Lakes 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 Mammoth Lakes is 144, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Mammoth Lakes is 1.4x higher than the national average.
Mammoth Lakes ranks as the #278 cheapest in California out of 634.
Mammoth Lakes ranks as the #5,533 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Mammoth Lakes is $797,881.
The median income in Mammoth Lakes is $87,121.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Mammoth Lakes has an overall cost of living index of 144, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Mammoth Lakes has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Mammoth Lakes ranks as #278 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Mammoth Lakes ranks as the #356 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Mammoth Lakes, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Mammoth Lakes. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Mammoth Lakes is 104.
The Groceries index in Mammoth Lakes is 105.
The Health index in Mammoth Lakes is 97.
The Housing index in Mammoth Lakes is 220.
The Transportation index in Mammoth Lakes is 120.
The Utilities index in Mammoth Lakes is 138.
| Living Expense | Mammoth Lakes | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 144 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 104 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 105 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 97 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 220 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 120 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 138 | 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 Mammoth Lakes is $797,881.
The Median Rent in Mammoth Lakes is $1,637.
The Median Income in Mammoth Lakes is $87,121.
The Home Value To Income in Mammoth Lakes is 9.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Mammoth Lakes is 0.23x.
| Statistic | Mammoth Lakes | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $797,881 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,637 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $87,121 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 9.2x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Mammoth Lakes | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.56 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $14.64 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $23.78 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.83 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $76.57 | $45.56 |
| Item | Mammoth Lakes | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.21 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.1 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.99 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.98 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $15.69 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.96 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.86 | $3.7 |
| Item | Mammoth Lakes | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $157.88 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $166.71 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $148.27 | $113.29 |
| Item | Mammoth Lakes | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.63 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $70.51 | $59.92 |
| Item | Mammoth Lakes | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $299.78 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $191.56 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Mammoth Lakes. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Paradise, CA has a cost of living index of 117, 0.8x Mammoth Lakes.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Mammoth Lakes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise, CA | 6,793 | 117 | 0.8x |