Cost of living in Saratoga 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 Saratoga 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 Saratoga is 342, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Saratoga is 3.4x higher than the national average.
Saratoga ranks as the #631 cheapest in California out of 634.
Saratoga ranks as the #6,486 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Saratoga is $3,880,499.
The median income in Saratoga is $241,348.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Saratoga has an overall cost of living index of 342, which is 3.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Saratoga has a cost of living index that's 2.4x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Saratoga ranks as #631 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Saratoga ranks as the #3 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Saratoga, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Saratoga. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Saratoga is 108.
The Groceries index in Saratoga is 116.
The Health index in Saratoga is 122.
The Housing index in Saratoga is 866.
The Transportation index in Saratoga is 129.
The Utilities index in Saratoga is 130.
| Living Expense | Saratoga | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 342 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 108 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 116 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 122 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 866 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 129 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 130 | 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 Saratoga is $3,880,499.
The Median Rent in Saratoga is $3,501.
The Median Income in Saratoga is $241,348.
The Home Value To Income in Saratoga is 16.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Saratoga is 0.17x.
| Statistic | Saratoga | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $3,880,499 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $3,501 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $241,348 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 16.1x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.17x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Saratoga | 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 |
| Item | Saratoga | 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 |
| Item | Saratoga | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $158.95 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $194.05 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $147.78 | $113.29 |
| Item | Saratoga | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.81 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $65.62 | $59.92 |
| Item | Saratoga | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $294.74 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.07 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Saratoga. 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, 0.8x Saratoga.
Santa Clara, CA has a cost of living index of 234, 0.7x Saratoga.
Mountain View, CA has a cost of living index of 283, 0.8x Saratoga.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Saratoga |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyvale, CA | 153,455 | 266 | 0.8x |
| Santa Clara, CA | 129,239 | 234 | 0.7x |
| Mountain View, CA | 82,363 | 283 | 0.8x |
| Milpitas, CA | 78,216 | 213 | 0.6x |
| Cupertino, CA | 58,886 | 326 | 1.0x |
| Campbell, CA | 42,848 | 235 | 0.7x |
| Menlo Park, CA | 32,775 | 334 | 1.0x |
| Los Gatos, CA | 32,773 | 308 | 0.9x |
| Los Altos, CA | 30,736 | 339 | 1.0x |
| North Fair Oaks, CA | 13,327 | 214 | 0.6x |