Cost of living in South El Monte 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 South El Monte 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 South El Monte is 144, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in South El Monte is 1.4x higher than the national average.
South El Monte ranks as the #278 cheapest in California out of 634.
South El Monte ranks as the #5,533 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in South El Monte is $741,557.
The median income in South El Monte is $67,153.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, South El Monte has an overall cost of living index of 144, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, South El Monte has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in South El Monte ranks as #278 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies South El Monte ranks as the #356 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in South El Monte, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in South El Monte. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in South El Monte is 115.
The Groceries index in South El Monte is 114.
The Health index in South El Monte is 108.
The Housing index in South El Monte is 216.
The Transportation index in South El Monte is 125.
The Utilities index in South El Monte is 110.
| Living Expense | South El Monte | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 144 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 115 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 114 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 108 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 216 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 125 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 110 | 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 South El Monte is $741,557.
The Median Rent in South El Monte is $1,708.
The Median Income in South El Monte is $67,153.
The Home Value To Income in South El Monte is 11.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in South El Monte is 0.31x.
| Statistic | South El Monte | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $741,557 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,708 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $67,153 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 11.0x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.31x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | South El Monte | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.41 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.46 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $19.07 | $18 |
| Haircut | $24.67 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $49.33 | $45.56 |
| Item | South El Monte | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.26 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.08 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.76 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.94 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $16.13 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.6 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.76 | $3.7 |
| Item | South El Monte | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $129.09 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $119.86 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $108.07 | $113.29 |
| Item | South El Monte | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.47 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $58.33 | $59.92 |
| Item | South El Monte | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $326.49 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $182.78 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around South El Monte. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
El Monte, CA has a cost of living index of 150, 1.0x South El Monte.
Lakewood, CA has a cost of living index of 164, 1.1x South El Monte.
Yorba Linda, CA has a cost of living index of 200, 1.4x South El Monte.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. South El Monte |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Monte, CA | 107,066 | 150 | 1.0x |
| Lakewood, CA | 80,510 | 164 | 1.1x |
| Yorba Linda, CA | 67,407 | 200 | 1.4x |
| Montebello, CA | 61,376 | 154 | 1.1x |
| Rosemead, CA | 50,340 | 158 | 1.1x |
| Cypress, CA | 49,531 | 172 | 1.2x |
| La Mirada, CA | 46,945 | 163 | 1.1x |
| San Gabriel, CA | 38,764 | 178 | 1.2x |
| La Verne, CA | 30,804 | 159 | 1.1x |
| West Puente Valley, CA | 22,198 | 151 | 1.0x |