Palo Alto, CA Cost Of Living
Cost Of Living In Palo Alto, CA Summary
Cost of living in Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto is 334, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Palo Alto is 3.3x higher than the national average.
Palo Alto ranks as the #621 cheapest in California out of 634.
Palo Alto ranks as the #6,476 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Palo Alto is $3,453,770.
The median income in Palo Alto is $220,408.
Table Of Contents
Palo Alto's Overall Cost Of Living
Higher Than The National Average
What is the cost of living in Palo Alto, CA?
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Palo Alto has an overall cost of living index of 334, which is 3.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Palo Alto has a cost of living index that's 2.4x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Palo Alto ranks as #621 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Palo Alto ranks as the #13 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Palo Alto, check out:
In California
In America
Palo Alto Cost Of Living Vs. California
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Palo Alto. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Palo Alto is 106.
The Groceries index in Palo Alto is 114.
The Health index in Palo Alto is 122.
The Housing index in Palo Alto is 841.
The Transportation index in Palo Alto is 130.
The Utilities index in Palo Alto is 132.
| Living Expense | Palo Alto | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 334 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 106 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 114 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 122 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 841 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 130 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 132 | 128 | 100 | |
Palo Alto, 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 Palo Alto is $3,453,770.
The Median Rent in Palo Alto is $3,328.
The Median Income in Palo Alto is $220,408.
The Home Value To Income in Palo Alto is 15.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Palo Alto is 0.18x.
| Statistic | Palo Alto | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $3,453,770 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $3,328 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $220,408 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 15.7x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.18x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Income
Palo Alto, CA Costs By Category
Detailed Palo Alto Services Costs Vs. California
| Item | Palo Alto | 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 Palo Alto Groceries Costs Vs. California
| Item | Palo Alto | 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 Palo Alto Health Costs Vs. California
| Item | Palo Alto | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $158.95 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $194.05 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $147.78 | $113.29 |
Detailed Palo Alto Transportation Costs Vs. California
| Item | Palo Alto | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.81 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $65.62 | $59.92 |
Detailed Palo Alto Utilities Costs Vs. California
| Item | Palo Alto | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $294.74 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.07 | $192.25 |
Palo Alto SnackAbility
/10
Cost Of Living In Cities Around Palo Alto
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Palo Alto. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Sunnyvale, CA has a cost of living index of 266, 0.8x Palo Alto.
San Mateo, CA has a cost of living index of 248, 0.7x Palo Alto.
Mountain View, CA has a cost of living index of 283, 0.8x Palo Alto.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Palo Alto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyvale, CA | 153,455 | 266 | 0.8x |
| San Mateo, CA | 103,555 | 248 | 0.7x |
| Mountain View, CA | 82,363 | 283 | 0.8x |
| Cupertino, CA | 58,886 | 326 | 1.0x |
| Los Altos, CA | 30,736 | 339 | 1.0x |
| San Carlos, CA | 29,797 | 311 | 0.9x |
| San Lorenzo, CA | 29,453 | 170 | 0.5x |
| East Palo Alto, CA | 29,143 | 207 | 0.6x |
| Belmont, CA | 27,505 | 294 | 0.9x |
| Millbrae, CA | 22,589 | 289 | 0.9x |
