Cost of living in Truckee 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 Truckee 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 Truckee is 159, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Truckee is 1.6x higher than the national average.
Truckee ranks as the #369 cheapest in California out of 634.
Truckee ranks as the #5,877 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Truckee is $1,003,559.
The median income in Truckee is $125,995.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Truckee has an overall cost of living index of 159, which is 1.6x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Truckee has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Truckee ranks as #369 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Truckee ranks as the #265 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Truckee, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Truckee. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Truckee is 101.
The Groceries index in Truckee is 101.
The Health index in Truckee is 96.
The Housing index in Truckee is 286.
The Transportation index in Truckee is 124.
The Utilities index in Truckee is 91.
| Living Expense | Truckee | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 159 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 101 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 101 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 96 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 286 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 124 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 91 | 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 Truckee is $1,003,559.
The Median Rent in Truckee is $2,089.
The Median Income in Truckee is $125,995.
The Home Value To Income in Truckee is 8.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Truckee is 0.2x.
| Statistic | Truckee | California | United States | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,003,559 | $763,287 | $303,400 | 
| Median Rent | $2,089 | $1,956 | $1,348 | 
| Median Income | $125,995 | $96,334 | $78,538 | 
| Home Value To Income | 8.0x | 7.9x | 3.9x | 
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.2x | 0.24x | 0.21x | 
| Item | Truckee | California | 
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.37 | $1.28 | 
| Movie | $11.0 | $12.13 | 
| Bowling | $21.95 | $18 | 
| Haircut | $25.78 | $24.26 | 
| Beauty Salon | $42.67 | $45.56 | 
| Item | Truckee | California | 
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.87 | $5.84 | 
| Fried Chicken | $1.87 | $1.57 | 
| Milk | $4.6 | $4.67 | 
| Potatoes | $4.57 | $4.93 | 
| Pizza | $12.67 | $12.09 | 
| Beer | $9.41 | $10.41 | 
| Toothpaste | $3.72 | $3.7 | 
| Item | Truckee | California | 
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $115.11 | $125.68 | 
| Doctor | $129.11 | $135.78 | 
| Dentist | $118.11 | $113.29 | 
| Item | Truckee | California | 
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.4 | $3.46 | 
| Tire Balancing | $66.55 | $59.92 | 
| Item | Truckee | California | 
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $171.07 | $193.99 | 
| Phone | $185.8 | $192.25 | 
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Truckee. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
South Lake Tahoe, CA has a cost of living index of 128, 0.8x Truckee.
Spanish Springs, NV has a cost of living index of 133, 0.8x Truckee.
Alpine, CA has a cost of living index of 168, 1.1x Truckee.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Truckee | 
|---|---|---|---|
| South Lake Tahoe, CA | 21,319 | 128 | 0.8x | 
| Spanish Springs, NV | 17,512 | 133 | 0.8x | 
| Alpine, CA | 15,470 | 168 | 1.1x | 
| Grass Valley, CA | 14,126 | 126 | 0.8x | 
| Johnson Lane, NV | 6,405 | 140 | 0.9x | 
| Pollock Pines, CA | 6,056 | 119 | 0.7x |