Cost of living in San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino is 117, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in San Bernardino is 1.2x higher than the national average.
San Bernardino ranks as the #95 cheapest in California out of 634.
San Bernardino ranks as the #4,212 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in San Bernardino is $484,119.
The median income in San Bernardino is $63,988.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, San Bernardino has an overall cost of living index of 117, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, San Bernardino has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in San Bernardino ranks as #95 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies San Bernardino ranks as the #539 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in San Bernardino, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in San Bernardino. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in San Bernardino is 113.
The Groceries index in San Bernardino is 115.
The Health index in San Bernardino is 97.
The Housing index in San Bernardino is 139.
The Transportation index in San Bernardino is 122.
The Utilities index in San Bernardino is 96.
| Living Expense | San Bernardino | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 117 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 113 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 115 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 97 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 139 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 122 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 96 | 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 San Bernardino is $484,119.
The Median Rent in San Bernardino is $1,433.
The Median Income in San Bernardino is $63,988.
The Home Value To Income in San Bernardino is 7.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in San Bernardino is 0.27x.
| Statistic | San Bernardino | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $484,119 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,433 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $63,988 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.6x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.27x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | San Bernardino | 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 | San Bernardino | 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 | San Bernardino | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $112.92 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $95.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $117.28 | $113.29 |
| Item | San Bernardino | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.75 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $61.38 | $59.92 |
| Item | San Bernardino | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $378.97 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around San Bernardino. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Fontana, CA has a cost of living index of 135, 1.2x San Bernardino.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA has a cost of living index of 154, 1.3x San Bernardino.
Rialto, CA has a cost of living index of 128, 1.1x San Bernardino.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. San Bernardino |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fontana, CA | 211,921 | 135 | 1.2x |
| Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 174,693 | 154 | 1.3x |
| Rialto, CA | 103,866 | 128 | 1.1x |
| Redlands, CA | 72,985 | 141 | 1.2x |
| Highland, CA | 56,690 | 128 | 1.1x |
| Yucaipa, CA | 54,348 | 129 | 1.1x |
| Colton, CA | 53,798 | 123 | 1.1x |
| Loma Linda, CA | 25,021 | 136 | 1.2x |
| Bloomington, CA | 24,324 | 126 | 1.1x |
| Woodcrest, CA | 17,111 | 150 | 1.3x |