Cost of living in Ontario 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 Ontario 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 Ontario is 137, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Ontario is 1.4x higher than the national average.
Ontario ranks as the #229 cheapest in California out of 634.
Ontario ranks as the #5,293 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Ontario is $663,965.
The median income in Ontario is $82,806.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Ontario has an overall cost of living index of 137, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Ontario has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Ontario ranks as #229 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Ontario ranks as the #405 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Ontario, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Ontario. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Ontario is 110.
The Groceries index in Ontario is 115.
The Health index in Ontario is 98.
The Housing index in Ontario is 205.
The Transportation index in Ontario is 125.
The Utilities index in Ontario is 92.
| Living Expense | Ontario | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 137 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 110 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 115 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 98 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 205 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 125 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 92 | 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 Ontario is $663,965.
The Median Rent in Ontario is $1,916.
The Median Income in Ontario is $82,806.
The Home Value To Income in Ontario is 8.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Ontario is 0.28x.
| Statistic | Ontario | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $663,965 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,916 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $82,806 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 8.0x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.28x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Ontario | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.34 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.04 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $21.11 | $18 |
| Haircut | $27.27 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $41.78 | $45.56 |
| Item | Ontario | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.89 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $3.49 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.92 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.92 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $15.31 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.26 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.61 | $3.7 |
| Item | Ontario | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $112.92 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $95.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $117.28 | $113.29 |
| Item | Ontario | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.75 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $61.38 | $59.92 |
| Item | Ontario | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $378.97 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Ontario. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Rancho Cucamonga, CA has a cost of living index of 154, 1.1x Ontario.
Pomona, CA has a cost of living index of 139, 1.0x Ontario.
Jurupa Valley, CA has a cost of living index of 133, 1.0x Ontario.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Ontario |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 174,693 | 154 | 1.1x |
| Pomona, CA | 148,391 | 139 | 1.0x |
| Jurupa Valley, CA | 106,244 | 133 | 1.0x |
| Chino, CA | 91,775 | 147 | 1.1x |
| Upland, CA | 78,940 | 157 | 1.1x |
| Eastvale, CA | 70,179 | 168 | 1.2x |
| Yorba Linda, CA | 67,407 | 200 | 1.5x |
| Diamond Bar, CA | 53,750 | 174 | 1.3x |
| Placentia, CA | 52,384 | 169 | 1.2x |
| Montclair, CA | 37,809 | 138 | 1.0x |