Cost of living in San Clemente 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 Clemente 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 Clemente is 203, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in San Clemente is 2.0x higher than the national average.
San Clemente ranks as the #533 cheapest in California out of 634.
San Clemente ranks as the #6,330 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in San Clemente is $1,663,935.
The median income in San Clemente is $134,735.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, San Clemente has an overall cost of living index of 203, which is 2.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, San Clemente has a cost of living index that's 1.4x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in San Clemente ranks as #533 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies San Clemente ranks as the #101 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in San Clemente, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in San Clemente. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in San Clemente is 112.
The Groceries index in San Clemente is 112.
The Health index in San Clemente is 98.
The Housing index in San Clemente is 413.
The Transportation index in San Clemente is 123.
The Utilities index in San Clemente is 92.
| Living Expense | San Clemente | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 203 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 112 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 112 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 98 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 413 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 123 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 92 | 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 Clemente is $1,663,935.
The Median Rent in San Clemente is $2,398.
The Median Income in San Clemente is $134,735.
The Home Value To Income in San Clemente is 12.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in San Clemente is 0.21x.
| Statistic | San Clemente | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,663,935 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,398 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $134,735 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 12.3x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.21x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | San Clemente | 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 Clemente | 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 Clemente | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $112.92 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $95.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $117.28 | $113.29 |
| Item | San Clemente | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.75 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $61.38 | $59.92 |
| Item | San Clemente | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $378.97 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around San Clemente. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Irvine, CA has a cost of living index of 198, 1.0x San Clemente.
Mission Viejo, CA has a cost of living index of 184, 0.9x San Clemente.
Lake Forest, CA has a cost of living index of 175, 0.9x San Clemente.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. San Clemente |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irvine, CA | 308,160 | 198 | 1.0x |
| Mission Viejo, CA | 92,415 | 184 | 0.9x |
| Lake Forest, CA | 85,846 | 175 | 0.9x |
| Laguna Niguel, CA | 64,023 | 197 | 1.0x |
| Aliso Viejo, CA | 51,320 | 174 | 0.9x |
| Rancho Santa Margarita, CA | 47,257 | 176 | 0.9x |
| San Juan Capistrano, CA | 34,998 | 183 | 0.9x |
| Dana Point, CA | 32,883 | 205 | 1.0x |
| Laguna Hills, CA | 30,921 | 184 | 0.9x |
| Ladera Ranch, CA | 23,609 | 202 | 1.0x |