Santa Cruz, CA Cost Of Living
Cost Of Living In Santa Cruz, CA Summary
Cost of living in Santa Cruz 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 Cruz 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 Cruz is 205, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Santa Cruz is 2.0x higher than the national average.
Santa Cruz ranks as the #538 cheapest in California out of 634.
Santa Cruz ranks as the #6,338 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Santa Cruz is $1,303,347.
The median income in Santa Cruz is $111,427.
Table Of Contents
Santa Cruz's Overall Cost Of Living
Higher Than The National Average
What is the cost of living in Santa Cruz, CA?
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Santa Cruz has an overall cost of living index of 205, which is 2.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Santa Cruz has a cost of living index that's 1.5x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Santa Cruz ranks as #538 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Santa Cruz ranks as the #96 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Santa Cruz, check out:
In California
In America
Santa Cruz Cost Of Living Vs. California
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Santa Cruz. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Santa Cruz is 109.
The Groceries index in Santa Cruz is 116.
The Health index in Santa Cruz is 124.
The Housing index in Santa Cruz is 404.
The Transportation index in Santa Cruz is 131.
The Utilities index in Santa Cruz is 130.
| Living Expense | Santa Cruz | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 205 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 109 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 116 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 124 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 404 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 131 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 130 | 128 | 100 | |
Santa Cruz, 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 Cruz is $1,303,347.
The Median Rent in Santa Cruz is $2,302.
The Median Income in Santa Cruz is $111,427.
The Home Value To Income in Santa Cruz is 11.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Santa Cruz is 0.25x.
| Statistic | Santa Cruz | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,303,347 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,302 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $111,427 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 11.7x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.25x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Income
Santa Cruz, CA Costs By Category
Detailed Santa Cruz Services Costs Vs. California
| Item | Santa Cruz | 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 Cruz Groceries Costs Vs. California
| Item | Santa Cruz | 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 Cruz Health Costs Vs. California
| Item | Santa Cruz | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $158.95 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $194.05 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $147.78 | $113.29 |
Detailed Santa Cruz Transportation Costs Vs. California
| Item | Santa Cruz | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.81 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $65.62 | $59.92 |
Detailed Santa Cruz Utilities Costs Vs. California
| Item | Santa Cruz | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $294.74 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.07 | $192.25 |
Santa Cruz SnackAbility
/10
Cost Of Living In Cities Around Santa Cruz
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Santa Cruz. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Chandler, AZ has a cost of living index of 128, 0.6x Santa Cruz.
Tempe, AZ has a cost of living index of 113, 0.6x Santa Cruz.
Goodyear, AZ has a cost of living index of 120, 0.6x Santa Cruz.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Santa Cruz |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chandler, AZ | 278,123 | 128 | 0.6x |
| Tempe, AZ | 186,419 | 113 | 0.6x |
| Goodyear, AZ | 102,891 | 120 | 0.6x |
| Avondale, AZ | 90,644 | 111 | 0.5x |
| Maricopa, AZ | 62,986 | 115 | 0.6x |
| Sun Lakes, AZ | 14,079 | 123 | 0.6x |
| Tolleson, AZ | 7,233 | 98 | 0.5x |
| Guadalupe, AZ | 5,293 | 92 | 0.4x |
