Palm Springs, CA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Palm Springs, CA Summary

Cost of living in Palm Springs 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 Palm Springs 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 Palm Springs is 132, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Palm Springs is 1.3x higher than the national average.

  • Palm Springs ranks as the #195 cheapest in California out of 634.

  • Palm Springs ranks as the #5,080 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Palm Springs is $623,753.

  • The median income in Palm Springs is $71,979.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
132
Palm Springs's Overall Cost Of Living
1.3x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Palm Springs, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Palm Springs has an overall cost of living index of 132, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Palm Springs has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than California's index of 141.

The standard of living in Palm Springs ranks as #195 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Palm Springs ranks as the #439 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in Palm Springs, check out:

195 out of 634
In California
5,080 out of 6,489
In America

Palm Springs Cost Of Living Vs. California

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Palm Springs. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Palm Springs is 112.

  • The Groceries index in Palm Springs is 115.

  • The Health index in Palm Springs is 100.

  • The Housing index in Palm Springs is 187.

  • The Transportation index in Palm Springs is 124.

  • The Utilities index in Palm Springs is 93.

Living Expense Palm Springs California National Average
Overall 132 141 100
Services 112 110 100
Groceries 115 112 100
Health 100 110 100
Housing 187 195 100
Transportation 124 125 100
Utilities 93 128 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
Palm Springs Cost of Living Vs. CA

Palm Springs, 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 Palm Springs is $623,753.

  • The Median Rent in Palm Springs is $1,473.

  • The Median Income in Palm Springs is $71,979.

  • The Home Value To Income in Palm Springs is 8.7x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Palm Springs is 0.25x.

Statistic Palm Springs California United States
Median Home Value $623,753 $763,287 $303,400
Median Rent $1,473 $1,956 $1,348
Median Income $71,979 $96,334 $78,538
Home Value To Income 8.7x 7.9x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.25x 0.24x 0.21x
$623,753
Median Home Value
$1,473
Median Rent
$71,979
Median Income

Palm Springs, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Palm Springs Services Costs Vs. California

Item Palm Springs 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

Detailed Palm Springs Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item Palm Springs 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

Detailed Palm Springs Health Costs Vs. California

Item Palm Springs California
Optometrist $112.92 $125.68
Doctor $95.5 $135.78
Dentist $117.28 $113.29

Detailed Palm Springs Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item Palm Springs California
Gasoline $4.75 $3.46
Tire Balancing $61.38 $59.92

Detailed Palm Springs Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item Palm Springs California
All Electricity $378.97 $193.99
Phone $180.31 $192.25

Palm Springs SnackAbility

5
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
6/10
Housing
9
Affordability
4
Diversity
9
Safety
4
Amenities
8
Education
8.5
Commute
8.5

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Palm Springs

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Palm Springs. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Indio, CA has a cost of living index of 124, 0.9x Palm Springs.

  • Palm Desert, CA has a cost of living index of 134, 1.0x Palm Springs.

  • La Quinta, CA has a cost of living index of 139, 1.1x Palm Springs.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Palm Springs
Indio, CA 90,669 124 0.9x
Palm Desert, CA 51,551 134 1.0x
La Quinta, CA 38,299 139 1.1x
Desert Hot Springs, CA 32,786 113 0.9x
Rancho Mirage, CA 17,375 152 1.2x
Bermuda Dunes, CA 8,074 137 1.0x
Thousand Palms, CA 7,662 112 0.8x
Garnet, CA 6,979 112 0.8x
Desert Palms, CA 6,522 143 1.1x

Articles About California

Enjoy The Snack?