Cost of living in Millbrae 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 Millbrae 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 Millbrae is 289, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Millbrae is 2.9x higher than the national average.
Millbrae ranks as the #605 cheapest in California out of 634.
Millbrae ranks as the #6,459 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Millbrae is $1,942,938.
The median income in Millbrae is $157,567.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Millbrae has an overall cost of living index of 289, which is 2.9x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Millbrae has a cost of living index that's 2.0x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Millbrae ranks as #605 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Millbrae ranks as the #29 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Millbrae, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Millbrae. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Millbrae is 120.
The Groceries index in Millbrae is 124.
The Health index in Millbrae is 123.
The Housing index in Millbrae is 667.
The Transportation index in Millbrae is 132.
The Utilities index in Millbrae is 135.
| Living Expense | Millbrae | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 289 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 120 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 124 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 123 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 667 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 132 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 135 | 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 Millbrae is $1,942,938.
The Median Rent in Millbrae is $3,401.
The Median Income in Millbrae is $157,567.
The Home Value To Income in Millbrae is 12.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Millbrae is 0.26x.
| Statistic | Millbrae | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,942,938 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $3,401 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $157,567 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 12.3x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.26x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Millbrae | 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 | Millbrae | 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 | Millbrae | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $159.79 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $174.45 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $155.36 | $113.29 |
| Item | Millbrae | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.63 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $75.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | Millbrae | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $298.77 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $203.63 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Millbrae. 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, 0.9x Millbrae.
South San Francisco, CA has a cost of living index of 213, 0.7x Millbrae.
San Bruno, CA has a cost of living index of 220, 0.8x Millbrae.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Millbrae |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo, CA | 103,555 | 248 | 0.9x |
| South San Francisco, CA | 64,487 | 213 | 0.7x |
| San Bruno, CA | 42,612 | 220 | 0.8x |
| Pacifica, CA | 37,527 | 220 | 0.8x |
| Menlo Park, CA | 32,775 | 334 | 1.2x |
| Burlingame, CA | 30,526 | 336 | 1.2x |
| San Carlos, CA | 29,797 | 311 | 1.1x |
| San Lorenzo, CA | 29,453 | 170 | 0.6x |
| Belmont, CA | 27,505 | 294 | 1.0x |
| North Fair Oaks, CA | 13,327 | 214 | 0.7x |