Cost of living in Morro Bay 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 Morro Bay 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 Morro Bay is 169, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Morro Bay is 1.7x higher than the national average.
Morro Bay ranks as the #428 cheapest in California out of 634.
Morro Bay ranks as the #6,049 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Morro Bay is $930,567.
The median income in Morro Bay is $92,553.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Morro Bay has an overall cost of living index of 169, which is 1.7x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Morro Bay has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Morro Bay ranks as #428 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Morro Bay ranks as the #206 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Morro Bay, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Morro Bay. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Morro Bay is 106.
The Groceries index in Morro Bay is 108.
The Health index in Morro Bay is 95.
The Housing index in Morro Bay is 299.
The Transportation index in Morro Bay is 127.
The Utilities index in Morro Bay is 158.
| Living Expense | Morro Bay | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 169 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 106 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 108 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 95 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 299 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 127 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 158 | 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 Morro Bay is $930,567.
The Median Rent in Morro Bay is $1,820.
The Median Income in Morro Bay is $92,553.
The Home Value To Income in Morro Bay is 10.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Morro Bay is 0.24x.
| Statistic | Morro Bay | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $930,567 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,820 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $92,553 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 10.1x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Morro Bay | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.48 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $18.12 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $22.67 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.25 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $89.33 | $45.56 |
| Item | Morro Bay | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.77 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.63 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.91 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.9 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $13.49 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.13 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.75 | $3.7 |
| Item | Morro Bay | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $142.2 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $131.33 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $131.5 | $113.29 |
| Item | Morro Bay | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.62 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $61.0 | $59.92 |
| Item | Morro Bay | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $231.4 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $193.81 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Morro Bay. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
San Luis Obispo, CA has a cost of living index of 172, 1.0x Morro Bay.
Atascadero, CA has a cost of living index of 153, 0.9x Morro Bay.
Los Osos, CA has a cost of living index of 163, 1.0x Morro Bay.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Morro Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo, CA | 48,039 | 172 | 1.0x |
| Atascadero, CA | 29,735 | 153 | 0.9x |
| Los Osos, CA | 15,048 | 163 | 1.0x |
| Templeton, CA | 8,608 | 166 | 1.0x |
| Pismo Beach, CA | 8,024 | 185 | 1.1x |
| Cambria, CA | 6,038 | 171 | 1.0x |