Cost of living in San Bruno 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 Bruno 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 Bruno is 220, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in San Bruno is 2.2x higher than the national average.
San Bruno ranks as the #560 cheapest in California out of 634.
San Bruno ranks as the #6,384 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in San Bruno is $1,253,305.
The median income in San Bruno is $135,976.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, San Bruno has an overall cost of living index of 220, which is 2.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, San Bruno has a cost of living index that's 1.6x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in San Bruno ranks as #560 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies San Bruno ranks as the #74 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in San Bruno, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in San Bruno. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in San Bruno is 119.
The Groceries index in San Bruno is 125.
The Health index in San Bruno is 127.
The Housing index in San Bruno is 441.
The Transportation index in San Bruno is 134.
The Utilities index in San Bruno is 136.
| Living Expense | San Bruno | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 220 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 119 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 125 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 127 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 441 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 134 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 136 | 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 Bruno is $1,253,305.
The Median Rent in San Bruno is $2,696.
The Median Income in San Bruno is $135,976.
The Home Value To Income in San Bruno is 9.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in San Bruno is 0.24x.
| Statistic | San Bruno | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,253,305 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,696 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $135,976 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 9.2x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.24x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | San Bruno | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.65 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $16.02 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $24.01 | $18 |
| Haircut | $28.38 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $85.43 | $45.56 |
| Item | San Bruno | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.23 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.11 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $5.18 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.98 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $15.74 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.21 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $4.09 | $3.7 |
| Item | San Bruno | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $159.79 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $174.45 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $155.36 | $113.29 |
| Item | San Bruno | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.63 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $75.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | San Bruno | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $298.77 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $203.63 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around San Bruno. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
San Mateo, CA has a cost of living index of 248, 1.1x San Bruno.
South San Francisco, CA has a cost of living index of 213, 1.0x San Bruno.
Pacifica, CA has a cost of living index of 220, 1.0x San Bruno.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. San Bruno |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo, CA | 103,555 | 248 | 1.1x |
| South San Francisco, CA | 64,487 | 213 | 1.0x |
| Pacifica, CA | 37,527 | 220 | 1.0x |
| Menlo Park, CA | 32,775 | 334 | 1.5x |
| Burlingame, CA | 30,526 | 336 | 1.5x |
| San Carlos, CA | 29,797 | 311 | 1.4x |
| San Lorenzo, CA | 29,453 | 170 | 0.8x |
| Belmont, CA | 27,505 | 294 | 1.3x |
| Millbrae, CA | 22,589 | 289 | 1.3x |
| North Fair Oaks, CA | 13,327 | 214 | 1.0x |