Richmond, CA Cost Of Living

The latest cost of living statistics for Richmond. Includes statistics on rent, mortgages, healthcare, and other costs for Richmond compared to the state and national averages.

Cost of living in Richmond, California

Cost of living in Richmond 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 Richmond 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:

153 Cost of living index 1.5x higher vs US
#323 Cheapest in California (of 634)
#5,760 Cheapest in the U.S. (of 6,489)
$606,426 Median home value
$1,960 Median rent
$95,391 Median income
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What is the cost of living in Richmond, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Richmond has an overall cost of living index of 153, which is 1.5x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Richmond has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than California's index of 142.

The standard of living in Richmond ranks as #323 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Richmond ranks as the #311 most expensive place in the Golden State.

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Richmond Cost Of Living Vs. California

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

  • The Services index in Richmond is 113.

  • The Groceries index in Richmond is 120.

  • The Health index in Richmond is 242.

  • The Housing index in Richmond is 118.

  • The Transportation index in Richmond is 122.

  • The Utilities index in Richmond is 122.

Living Expense Richmond California National Average
Overall 153 142 100
Services 113 110 100
Groceries 120 118 100
Health 242 197 100
Housing 118 120 100
Transportation 122 121 100
Utilities 122 121 100

Richmond Cost Of Living Compared To California Averages

Services
Richmond 113
California avg 110
Groceries
Richmond 120
California avg 118
Health
Richmond 242
California avg 197
Housing
Richmond 118
California avg 120
Transportation
Richmond 122
California avg 121
Utilities
Richmond 122
California avg 121

Index where 100 = national average. Source: cost-of-living index 2026.

For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:

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Source: Cost-of-living index 2026, normalized to US average = 100

Richmond, CA Housing Cost Breakdown

$606,426Median Home Value
$1,960Median Rent
$95,391Median Income

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 2020-2024. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Richmond is $606,426.

  • The Median Rent in Richmond is $1,960.

  • The Median Income in Richmond is $95,391.

  • The Home Value To Income in Richmond is 6.4x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Richmond is 0.25x.

Statistic Richmond California United States
Median Home Value $606,426 $774,581 $332,700
Median Rent $1,960 $2,036 $1,413
Median Income $95,391 $99,122 $80,734
Home Value To Income 6.4x 7.8x 4.1x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.25x 0.25x 0.21x

Richmond, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Richmond Services costs vs. California
Item Richmond California
Shampoo $1.45 $1.28
Movie $16.46 $12.13
Bowling $27.22 $18
Haircut $25.0 $24.26
Beauty Salon $76.0 $45.56
Detailed Richmond Groceries costs vs. California
Item Richmond California
Ground Beef $5.7 $5.84
Fried Chicken $3.43 $1.57
Milk $4.91 $4.67
Potatoes $4.87 $4.93
Pizza $13.49 $12.09
Beer $11.18 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.64 $3.7
Detailed Richmond Health costs vs. California
Item Richmond California
Optometrist $137.4 $125.68
Doctor $110.0 $135.78
Dentist $118.27 $113.29
Detailed Richmond Transportation costs vs. California
Item Richmond California
Gasoline $4.6 $3.46
Tire Balancing $60.97 $59.92
Detailed Richmond Utilities costs vs. California
Item Richmond California
All Electricity $182.51 $193.99
Phone $180.31 $192.25

Richmond SnackAbility

6Overall SnackAbility
Jobs 8/10
Housing 9/10
Affordability 3/10
Diversity 10/10
Safety 3/10
Amenities 9.5/10
Education 6/10
Commute 3/10

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Richmond

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

  • Mountain View, CA has a cost of living index of 287, 1.9x Richmond.

  • San Pablo, CA has a cost of living index of 141, 0.9x Richmond.

  • Hercules, CA has a cost of living index of 170, 1.1x Richmond.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Richmond
Mountain View, CA 83,732 287 1.9x
San Pablo, CA 31,720 141 0.9x
Hercules, CA 26,302 170 1.1x
El Cerrito, CA 25,994 203 1.3x
Lafayette, CA 25,285 281 1.8x
American Canyon, CA 21,691 162 1.1x
Orinda, CA 19,514 274 1.8x
Pinole, CA 18,761 162 1.1x
Piedmont, CA 10,945 349 2.3x
Fairfax, CA 7,516 200 1.3x