Palm Springs, CA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2023-11-15

Cost Of Living In Palm Springs, CA Summary

Cost of living in Palm Springs 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 Palm Springs 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 Palm Springs is 124, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Palm Springs is 1.2x higher than the national average.

  • Palm Springs ranks as the #226 cheapest in California out of 635.

  • Palm Springs ranks as the #4,999 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.

  • The median home value in Palm Springs is $423,200.

  • The median income in Palm Springs is $61,597.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
124
Palm Springs's Overall Cost Of Living
1.2x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Palm Springs, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Palm Springs has an overall cost of living index of 124, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Palm Springs has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than California's index of 139.

The standard of living in Palm Springs ranks as #226 most affordable out of the 635 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Palm Springs ranks as the #409 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in Palm Springs, check out:

226 out of 635
In California
4,999 out of 6,412
In America

Palm Springs Cost Of Living Vs. California

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

  • The Services index in Palm Springs is 113.

  • The Groceries index in Palm Springs is 114.

  • The Health index in Palm Springs is 106.

  • The Housing index in Palm Springs is 146.

  • The Transportation index in Palm Springs is 137.

  • The Utilities index in Palm Springs is 90.

Living Expense Palm Springs California National Average
Overall 124 139 100
Services 113 110 100
Groceries 114 112 100
Health 106 109 100
Housing 146 204 100
Transportation 137 126 100
Utilities 90 124 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
Palm Springs Cost of Living Vs. CA

Palm Springs, 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 2017-2021. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Palm Springs is $423,200.

  • The Median Rent in Palm Springs is $1,271.

  • The Median Income in Palm Springs is $61,597.

  • The Home Value To Income in Palm Springs is 6.9x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Palm Springs is 0.25x.

Statistic Palm Springs California United States
Median Home Value $423,200 $573,200 $244,900
Median Rent $1,271 $1,698 $1,163
Median Income $61,597 $84,097 $69,021
Home Value To Income 6.9x 6.8x 3.5x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.25x 0.24x 0.2x
Search Homes For Sale In Palm Springs, CA
$423,200
Median Home Value
$1,271
Median Rent
$61,597
Median Income

Palm Springs, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Palm Springs Services Costs Vs. California

Item Palm Springs California
Shampoo $1.17 $1.06
Movie $14.48 $10.68
Bowling $24.56 $14.67
Haircut $22.6 $18.62
Beauty Salon $66.25 $39.05

Detailed Palm Springs Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item Palm Springs California
Ground Beef $4.58 $4.22
Fried Chicken $1.72 $1.39
Milk $2.19 $2.05
Potatoes $2.99 $3.29
Pizza $11.66 $10.62
Beer $9.82 $9.38
Toothpaste $2.48 $2.34

Detailed Palm Springs Health Costs Vs. California

Item Palm Springs California
Optometrist $106.53 $108.57
Doctor $100.28 $116.17
Dentist $114.52 $99.13

Detailed Palm Springs Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item Palm Springs California
Gasoline $3.32 $2.22
Tire Balancing $52.6 $50.07

Detailed Palm Springs Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item Palm Springs California
All Electricity $138.7 $167.67
Phone $176.01 $175.64

Palm Springs SnackAbility

5
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
6/10
Housing
9
Affordability
4
Diversity
9
Safety
4
Amenities
8
Education
8.5
Commute
8.5

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Palm Springs

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

  • Indio, CA has a cost of living index of 119, 1.0x Palm Springs.

  • Palm Desert, CA has a cost of living index of 130, 1.0x Palm Springs.

  • La Quinta, CA has a cost of living index of 134, 1.1x Palm Springs.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Palm Springs
Indio, CA 88,542 119 1.0x
Palm Desert, CA 51,081 130 1.0x
La Quinta, CA 37,846 134 1.1x
Desert Hot Springs, CA 31,988 104 0.8x
Rancho Mirage, CA 17,129 148 1.2x
Thousand Palms, CA 8,052 109 0.9x
Bermuda Dunes, CA 6,862 127 1.0x
Desert Palms, CA 6,225 141 1.1x
Garnet, CA 5,853 101 0.8x

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