Santa Clara, CA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Santa Clara, CA Summary

Cost of living in Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara is 234, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Santa Clara is 2.3x higher than the national average.

  • Santa Clara ranks as the #573 cheapest in California out of 634.

  • Santa Clara ranks as the #6,408 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Santa Clara is $1,666,520.

  • The median income in Santa Clara is $173,670.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
234
Santa Clara's Overall Cost Of Living
2.3x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Santa Clara, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Santa Clara has an overall cost of living index of 234, which is 2.3x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Santa Clara has a cost of living index that's 1.7x higher than California's index of 141.

The standard of living in Santa Clara ranks as #573 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Santa Clara ranks as the #61 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in Santa Clara, check out:

573 out of 634
In California
6,408 out of 6,489
In America

Santa Clara Cost Of Living Vs. California

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

  • The Services index in Santa Clara is 107.

  • The Groceries index in Santa Clara is 114.

  • The Health index in Santa Clara is 125.

  • The Housing index in Santa Clara is 505.

  • The Transportation index in Santa Clara is 131.

  • The Utilities index in Santa Clara is 130.

Living Expense Santa Clara California National Average
Overall 234 141 100
Services 107 110 100
Groceries 114 112 100
Health 125 110 100
Housing 505 195 100
Transportation 131 125 100
Utilities 130 128 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
Santa Clara Cost of Living Vs. CA

Santa Clara, CA Housing Cost Breakdown

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 Santa Clara is $1,666,520.

  • The Median Rent in Santa Clara is $2,985.

  • The Median Income in Santa Clara is $173,670.

  • The Home Value To Income in Santa Clara is 9.6x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Santa Clara is 0.21x.

Statistic Santa Clara California United States
Median Home Value $1,666,520 $763,287 $303,400
Median Rent $2,985 $1,956 $1,348
Median Income $173,670 $96,334 $78,538
Home Value To Income 9.6x 7.9x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.21x 0.24x 0.21x
$1,666,520
Median Home Value
$2,985
Median Rent
$173,670
Median Income

Santa Clara, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Santa Clara Services Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Clara California
Shampoo $1.66 $1.28
Movie $13.31 $12.13
Bowling $33.3 $18
Haircut $33.94 $24.26
Beauty Salon $48.51 $45.56

Detailed Santa Clara Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Clara California
Ground Beef $5.79 $5.84
Fried Chicken $2.13 $1.57
Milk $5.05 $4.67
Potatoes $4.77 $4.93
Pizza $14.92 $12.09
Beer $10.99 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.72 $3.7

Detailed Santa Clara Health Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Clara California
Optometrist $158.95 $125.68
Doctor $194.05 $135.78
Dentist $147.78 $113.29

Detailed Santa Clara Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Clara California
Gasoline $4.81 $3.46
Tire Balancing $65.62 $59.92

Detailed Santa Clara Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Clara California
All Electricity $294.74 $193.99
Phone $190.07 $192.25

Santa Clara SnackAbility

9
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8.5/10
Housing
10
Affordability
4
Diversity
10
Safety
6
Amenities
10
Education
8.5
Commute
8

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Santa Clara

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

  • Sunnyvale, CA has a cost of living index of 266, 1.1x Santa Clara.

  • Mountain View, CA has a cost of living index of 283, 1.2x Santa Clara.

  • Milpitas, CA has a cost of living index of 213, 0.9x Santa Clara.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Santa Clara
Sunnyvale, CA 153,455 266 1.1x
Mountain View, CA 82,363 283 1.2x
Milpitas, CA 78,216 213 0.9x
Cupertino, CA 58,886 326 1.4x
Campbell, CA 42,848 235 1.0x
Menlo Park, CA 32,775 334 1.4x
Los Altos, CA 30,736 339 1.4x
Saratoga, CA 30,335 342 1.5x
San Carlos, CA 29,797 311 1.3x
North Fair Oaks, CA 13,327 214 0.9x

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