Mountain View, CA Cost Of Living
Cost Of Living In Mountain View, CA Summary
Cost of living in Mountain View 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 Mountain View 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 Mountain View is 283, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Mountain View is 2.8x higher than the national average.
Mountain View ranks as the #603 cheapest in California out of 634.
Mountain View ranks as the #6,456 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Mountain View is $1,948,838.
The median income in Mountain View is $179,917.
Table Of Contents
Mountain View's Overall Cost Of Living
Higher Than The National Average
What is the cost of living in Mountain View, CA?
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Mountain View has an overall cost of living index of 283, which is 2.8x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Mountain View has a cost of living index that's 2.0x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Mountain View ranks as #603 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Mountain View ranks as the #31 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Mountain View, check out:
In California
In America
Mountain View Cost Of Living Vs. California
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Mountain View. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Mountain View is 108.
The Groceries index in Mountain View is 115.
The Health index in Mountain View is 124.
The Housing index in Mountain View is 671.
The Transportation index in Mountain View is 132.
The Utilities index in Mountain View is 132.
| Living Expense | Mountain View | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 283 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 108 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 115 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 124 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 671 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 132 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 132 | 128 | 100 | |
Mountain View, CA Housing Cost Breakdown
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 Mountain View is $1,948,838.
The Median Rent in Mountain View is $2,975.
The Median Income in Mountain View is $179,917.
The Home Value To Income in Mountain View is 10.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Mountain View is 0.2x.
| Statistic | Mountain View | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,948,838 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,975 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $179,917 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 10.8x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.2x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Income
Mountain View, CA Costs By Category
Detailed Mountain View Services Costs Vs. California
| Item | Mountain View | 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 |
Detailed Mountain View Groceries Costs Vs. California
| Item | Mountain View | 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 |
Detailed Mountain View Health Costs Vs. California
| Item | Mountain View | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $158.95 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $194.05 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $147.78 | $113.29 |
Detailed Mountain View Transportation Costs Vs. California
| Item | Mountain View | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.81 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $65.62 | $59.92 |
Detailed Mountain View Utilities Costs Vs. California
| Item | Mountain View | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $294.74 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.07 | $192.25 |
Mountain View SnackAbility
/10
Cost Of Living In Cities Around Mountain View
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Mountain View. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
San Ramon, CA has a cost of living index of 222, 0.8x Mountain View.
Danville, CA has a cost of living index of 240, 0.8x Mountain View.
Martinez, CA has a cost of living index of 170, 0.6x Mountain View.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Mountain View |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Ramon, CA | 85,734 | 222 | 0.8x |
| Danville, CA | 43,426 | 240 | 0.8x |
| Martinez, CA | 36,926 | 170 | 0.6x |
| Pleasant Hill, CA | 34,335 | 194 | 0.7x |
| Benicia, CA | 26,861 | 169 | 0.6x |
| Hercules, CA | 26,245 | 173 | 0.6x |
| Lafayette, CA | 25,277 | 284 | 1.0x |
| American Canyon, CA | 21,698 | 162 | 0.6x |
| Orinda, CA | 19,472 | 280 | 1.0x |
| Piedmont, CA | 11,012 | 340 | 1.2x |
