Santa Cruz, CA Cost Of Living

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

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 186, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Santa Cruz is 1.9x higher than the national average.

  • Santa Cruz ranks as the #548 cheapest in California out of 635.

  • Santa Cruz ranks as the #6,250 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.

  • The median home value in Santa Cruz is $933,000.

  • The median income in Santa Cruz is $96,217.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
186
Santa Cruz's Overall Cost Of Living
1.9x
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 186, which is 1.9x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Santa Cruz has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than California's index of 139.

The standard of living in Santa Cruz ranks as #548 most affordable out of the 635 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Santa Cruz ranks as the #87 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in Santa Cruz, check out:

548 out of 635
In California
6,250 out of 6,412
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 119.

  • The Groceries index in Santa Cruz is 134.

  • The Health index in Santa Cruz is 124.

  • The Housing index in Santa Cruz is 319.

  • The Transportation index in Santa Cruz is 145.

  • The Utilities index in Santa Cruz is 137.

Living Expense Santa Cruz California National Average
Overall 186 139 100
Services 119 110 100
Groceries 134 112 100
Health 124 109 100
Housing 319 204 100
Transportation 145 126 100
Utilities 137 124 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
Santa Cruz Cost of Living Vs. CA

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 2017-2021. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Santa Cruz is $933,000.

  • The Median Rent in Santa Cruz is $2,072.

  • The Median Income in Santa Cruz is $96,217.

  • The Home Value To Income in Santa Cruz is 9.7x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Santa Cruz is 0.26x.

Statistic Santa Cruz California United States
Median Home Value $933,000 $573,200 $244,900
Median Rent $2,072 $1,698 $1,163
Median Income $96,217 $84,097 $69,021
Home Value To Income 9.7x 6.8x 3.5x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.26x 0.24x 0.2x
Search Homes For Sale In Santa Cruz, CA
$933,000
Median Home Value
$2,072
Median Rent
$96,217
Median Income

Santa Cruz, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Santa Cruz Services Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Cruz California
Shampoo $1.39 $1.06
Movie $13.23 $10.68
Bowling $19.56 $14.67
Haircut $19.39 $18.62
Beauty Salon $67.86 $39.05

Detailed Santa Cruz Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Cruz California
Ground Beef $3.73 $4.22
Fried Chicken $1.89 $1.39
Milk $2.87 $2.05
Potatoes $3.35 $3.29
Pizza $12.66 $10.62
Beer $10.57 $9.38
Toothpaste $3.07 $2.34

Detailed Santa Cruz Health Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Cruz California
Optometrist $136.92 $108.57
Doctor $146.83 $116.17
Dentist $133.38 $99.13

Detailed Santa Cruz Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Cruz California
Gasoline $3.38 $2.22
Tire Balancing $62.03 $50.07

Detailed Santa Cruz Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item Santa Cruz California
All Electricity $269.4 $167.67
Phone $187.26 $175.64

Santa Cruz SnackAbility

8
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8/10
Housing
10
Affordability
3
Diversity
9
Safety
4
Amenities
9.5
Education
9
Commute
8

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 107, 0.6x Santa Cruz.

  • Tempe, AZ has a cost of living index of 105, 0.6x Santa Cruz.

  • Goodyear, AZ has a cost of living index of 105, 0.6x Santa Cruz.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Santa Cruz
Chandler, AZ 272,439 107 0.6x
Tempe, AZ 178,862 105 0.6x
Goodyear, AZ 93,651 105 0.6x
Avondale, AZ 88,065 95 0.5x
Maricopa, AZ 57,075 97 0.5x
Sun Lakes, AZ 13,912 109 0.6x
Tolleson, AZ 7,180 96 0.5x
Guadalupe, AZ 5,334 87 0.5x

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