Cost of living in Rancho San Diego 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 Rancho San Diego 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 Rancho San Diego is 171, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Rancho San Diego is 1.7x higher than the national average.
Rancho San Diego ranks as the #441 cheapest in California out of 634.
Rancho San Diego ranks as the #6,086 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Rancho San Diego is $937,590.
The median income in Rancho San Diego is $118,431.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Rancho San Diego has an overall cost of living index of 171, which is 1.7x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Rancho San Diego has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Rancho San Diego ranks as #441 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Rancho San Diego ranks as the #193 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Rancho San Diego, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Rancho San Diego. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Rancho San Diego is 114.
The Groceries index in Rancho San Diego is 115.
The Health index in Rancho San Diego is 104.
The Housing index in Rancho San Diego is 301.
The Transportation index in Rancho San Diego is 129.
The Utilities index in Rancho San Diego is 105.
| Living Expense | Rancho San Diego | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 171 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 114 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 115 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 104 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 301 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 129 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 105 | 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 Rancho San Diego is $937,590.
The Median Rent in Rancho San Diego is $2,431.
The Median Income in Rancho San Diego is $118,431.
The Home Value To Income in Rancho San Diego is 7.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Rancho San Diego is 0.25x.
| Statistic | Rancho San Diego | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $937,590 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,431 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $118,431 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.9x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.25x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Rancho San Diego | 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 | Rancho San Diego | 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 | Rancho San Diego | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $138.66 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $132.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $121.37 | $113.29 |
| Item | Rancho San Diego | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.68 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $64.4 | $59.92 |
| Item | Rancho San Diego | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $223.42 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Rancho San Diego. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
San Diego, CA has a cost of living index of 170, 1.0x Rancho San Diego.
El Cajon, CA has a cost of living index of 147, 0.9x Rancho San Diego.
La Mesa, CA has a cost of living index of 160, 0.9x Rancho San Diego.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Rancho San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego, CA | 1,385,061 | 170 | 1.0x |
| El Cajon, CA | 104,909 | 147 | 0.9x |
| La Mesa, CA | 60,835 | 160 | 0.9x |
| Santee, CA | 59,485 | 149 | 0.9x |
| Poway, CA | 48,515 | 176 | 1.0x |
| La Presa, CA | 36,669 | 143 | 0.8x |
| Lemon Grove, CA | 27,489 | 144 | 0.8x |
| Winter Gardens, CA | 22,003 | 145 | 0.8x |
| Casa de Oro-Mount Helix, CA | 19,651 | 171 | 1.0x |
| Coronado, CA | 18,558 | 294 | 1.7x |