Cost of living in National City 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 National City 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 National City is 142, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in National City is 1.4x higher than the national average.
National City ranks as the #260 cheapest in California out of 634.
National City ranks as the #5,468 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in National City is $669,496.
The median income in National City is $64,248.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, National City has an overall cost of living index of 142, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, National City has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in National City ranks as #260 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies National City ranks as the #374 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in National City, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in National City. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in National City is 114.
The Groceries index in National City is 114.
The Health index in National City is 107.
The Housing index in National City is 202.
The Transportation index in National City is 125.
The Utilities index in National City is 108.
| Living Expense | National City | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 142 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 114 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 114 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 107 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 202 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 125 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 108 | 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 National City is $669,496.
The Median Rent in National City is $1,619.
The Median Income in National City is $64,248.
The Home Value To Income in National City is 10.4x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in National City is 0.3x.
| Statistic | National City | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $669,496 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,619 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $64,248 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 10.4x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.3x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | National City | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.5 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $16.89 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $24.67 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.92 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $65.77 | $45.56 |
| Item | National City | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.47 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $3.05 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.98 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.94 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $14.69 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.25 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.73 | $3.7 |
| Item | National City | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $138.66 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $132.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $121.37 | $113.29 |
| Item | National City | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.68 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $64.4 | $59.92 |
| Item | National City | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $223.42 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |