West ranking
119 California cities ranked by cost of living, cheapest first.
Index 94
Index 236
Sorted by cost-of-living index — lowest (most affordable) first.
| # | City | Cost index | Median rent | Median income | Population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merced | 94 | $1,197/mo | $59,233 | 88K | Compare → |
| 2 | Fresno | 97 | $1,227/mo | $63,001 | 542K | Compare → |
| 3 | Redding | 101 | $1,278/mo | $67,323 | 93K | Compare → |
| 4 | Bakersfield | 101 | $1,283/mo | $73,827 | 404K | Compare → |
| 5 | Visalia | 102 | $1,289/mo | $75,658 | 141K | Compare → |
| 6 | San Bernardino | 104 | $1,319/mo | $61,323 | 221K | Compare → |
| 7 | Indio | 106 | $1,344/mo | $68,436 | 90K | Compare → |
| 8 | Hemet | 107 | $1,357/mo | $49,901 | 90K | Compare → |
| 9 | Chico | 107 | $1,360/mo | $65,932 | 103K | Compare → |
| 10 | East Los Angeles | 108 | $1,369/mo | $64,119 | 117K | Compare → |
| 11 | Arden-Arcade | 109 | $1,385/mo | $64,479 | 96K | Compare → |
| 12 | South Gate | 110 | $1,400/mo | $67,188 | 92K | Compare → |
| 13 | Stockton | 112 | $1,417/mo | $71,612 | 320K | Compare → |
| 14 | Hesperia | 113 | $1,436/mo | $67,698 | 100K | Compare → |
| 15 | Victorville | 115 | $1,461/mo | $65,746 | 134K | Compare → |
| 16 | Compton | 115 | $1,464/mo | $69,728 | 95K | Compare → |
| 17 | Carmichael | 117 | $1,480/mo | $80,138 | 78K | Compare → |
| 18 | Clovis | 117 | $1,482/mo | $98,554 | 121K | Compare → |
| 19 | Modesto | 118 | $1,497/mo | $73,375 | 218K | Compare → |
| 20 | Rialto | 122 | $1,553/mo | $80,750 | 104K | Compare → |
| 21 | Perris | 123 | $1,563/mo | $78,352 | 79K | Compare → |
| 22 | Lancaster | 124 | $1,576/mo | $71,367 | 171K | Compare → |
| 23 | Sacramento | 126 | $1,592/mo | $78,954 | 524K | Compare → |
| 24 | Rancho Cordova | 126 | $1,599/mo | $85,099 | 79K | Compare → |
| 25 | El Monte | 127 | $1,605/mo | $59,929 | 109K | Compare → |
| 26 | Fontana | 127 | $1,616/mo | $93,230 | 209K | Compare → |
| 27 | Jurupa Valley | 128 | $1,618/mo | $91,562 | 106K | Compare → |
| 28 | Palmdale | 128 | $1,625/mo | $78,414 | 167K | Compare → |
| 29 | Pomona | 129 | $1,631/mo | $73,515 | 150K | Compare → |
| 30 | Hawthorne | 129 | $1,641/mo | $72,298 | 87K | Compare → |
| 31 | Citrus Heights | 131 | $1,657/mo | $75,022 | 87K | Compare → |
| 32 | Inglewood | 131 | $1,666/mo | $67,563 | 107K | Compare → |
| 33 | El Cajon | 133 | $1,686/mo | $64,128 | 106K | Compare → |
| 34 | Bellflower | 133 | $1,686/mo | $75,379 | 78K | Compare → |
| 35 | Long Beach | 134 | $1,698/mo | $78,995 | 462K | Compare → |
| 36 | Riverside | 135 | $1,711/mo | $83,448 | 316K | Compare → |
| 37 | Whittier | 136 | $1,725/mo | $89,686 | 86K | Compare → |
| 38 | Santa Maria | 139 | $1,768/mo | $81,237 | 110K | Compare → |
| 39 | Alhambra | 141 | $1,788/mo | $80,234 | 82K | Compare → |
| 40 | Los Angeles | 141 | $1,791/mo | $76,244 | 3.9M | Compare → |
| 41 | Salinas | 142 | $1,795/mo | $84,250 | 163K | Compare → |
| 42 | Manteca | 142 | $1,803/mo | $89,966 | 84K | Compare → |
| 43 | Downey | 143 | $1,814/mo | $84,236 | 113K | Compare → |
| 44 | Carson | 143 | $1,815/mo | $103,045 | 94K | Compare → |
| 45 | Ontario | 144 | $1,826/mo | $78,070 | 176K | Compare → |
| 46 | Escondido | 145 | $1,833/mo | $77,554 | 151K | Compare → |
| 47 | Upland | 145 | $1,841/mo | $93,994 | 79K | Compare → |
| 48 | Oakland | 146 | $1,849/mo | $94,389 | 438K | Compare → |
| 49 | Richmond | 146 | $1,853/mo | $86,618 | 116K | Compare → |
| 50 | Moreno Valley | 147 | $1,858/mo | $82,637 | 210K | Compare → |
| 51 | Norwalk | 147 | $1,860/mo | $91,259 | 102K | Compare → |
| 52 | Santa Ana | 149 | $1,885/mo | $84,210 | 311K | Compare → |
| 53 | Garden Grove | 149 | $1,887/mo | $86,139 | 172K | Compare → |
| 54 | Vallejo | 149 | $1,894/mo | $86,112 | 125K | Compare → |
| 55 | Oxnard | 150 | $1,907/mo | $90,409 | 202K | Compare → |
| 56 | Roseville | 153 | $1,940/mo | $112,265 | 149K | Compare → |
| 57 | San Buenaventura (Ventura) | 153 | $1,942/mo | $96,036 | 110K | Compare → |
| 58 | Menifee | 153 | $1,946/mo | $87,871 | 104K | Compare → |
| 59 | Anaheim | 154 | $1,958/mo | $88,538 | 347K | Compare → |
| 60 | Westminster | 156 | $1,977/mo | $80,271 | 91K | Compare → |
| 61 | Fullerton | 157 | $1,989/mo | $99,279 | 142K | Compare → |
| 62 | San Leandro | 157 | $1,997/mo | $97,141 | 90K | Compare → |
| 63 | Chino | 158 | $2,001/mo | $99,385 | 91K | Compare → |
| 64 | Glendale | 158 | $2,002/mo | $81,219 | 195K | Compare → |
| 65 | Vista | 158 | $2,002/mo | $88,715 | 98K | Compare → |
| 66 | Burbank | 158 | $2,004/mo | $91,455 | 106K | Compare → |
| 67 | Buena Park | 159 | $2,012/mo | $101,586 | 84K | Compare → |
| 68 | Corona | 159 | $2,020/mo | $103,727 | 158K | Compare → |
| 69 | Santa Rosa | 160 | $2,024/mo | $92,604 | 178K | Compare → |
| 70 | Chula Vista | 160 | $2,035/mo | $101,984 | 276K | Compare → |
| 71 | Fairfield | 161 | $2,047/mo | $98,857 | 119K | Compare → |
| 72 | Napa | 162 | $2,051/mo | $100,273 | 79K | Compare → |
| 73 | West Covina | 162 | $2,054/mo | $96,219 | 108K | Compare → |
| 74 | San Marcos | 163 | $2,064/mo | $99,413 | 94K | Compare → |
| 75 | Berkeley | 163 | $2,067/mo | $104,716 | 121K | Compare → |
| 76 | Elk Grove | 164 | $2,076/mo | $115,864 | 176K | Compare → |
| 77 | Oceanside | 164 | $2,078/mo | $86,701 | 174K | Compare → |
| 78 | San Diego | 164 | $2,080/mo | $98,657 | 1.4M | Compare → |
| 79 | Pasadena | 166 | $2,100/mo | $97,818 | 138K | Compare → |
| 80 | Torrance | 168 | $2,132/mo | $109,554 | 145K | Compare → |
| 81 | Concord | 169 | $2,137/mo | $107,789 | 125K | Compare → |
| 82 | Vacaville | 169 | $2,141/mo | $106,764 | 102K | Compare → |
| 83 | Orange | 169 | $2,148/mo | $109,335 | 139K | Compare → |
| 84 | Antioch | 170 | $2,150/mo | $90,709 | 115K | Compare → |
| 85 | Murrieta | 170 | $2,150/mo | $106,925 | 112K | Compare → |
| 86 | Tracy | 171 | $2,162/mo | $111,717 | 94K | Compare → |
| 87 | Folsom | 171 | $2,164/mo | $134,935 | 81K | Compare → |
| 88 | Rancho Cucamonga | 172 | $2,184/mo | $105,534 | 175K | Compare → |
| 89 | Tustin | 174 | $2,205/mo | $102,065 | 80K | Compare → |
| 90 | Santa Barbara | 174 | $2,209/mo | $98,346 | 89K | Compare → |
| 91 | Temecula | 175 | $2,222/mo | $111,881 | 110K | Compare → |
| 92 | Santa Monica | 176 | $2,227/mo | $106,797 | 92K | Compare → |
| 93 | Lakewood | 176 | $2,233/mo | $113,030 | 81K | Compare → |
| 94 | Hayward | 178 | $2,260/mo | $105,371 | 161K | Compare → |
| 95 | Costa Mesa | 179 | $2,268/mo | $104,981 | 111K | Compare → |
| 96 | Alameda | 181 | $2,301/mo | $129,917 | 78K | Compare → |
| 97 | Santa Clarita | 183 | $2,315/mo | $116,186 | 226K | Compare → |
| 98 | San Francisco | 183 | $2,316/mo | $136,689 | 851K | Compare → |
| 99 | Huntington Beach | 183 | $2,318/mo | $114,747 | 197K | Compare → |
| 100 | Simi Valley | 189 | $2,402/mo | $112,144 | 126K | Compare → |
| 101 | Carlsbad | 195 | $2,477/mo | $134,139 | 115K | Compare → |
| 102 | Livermore | 196 | $2,482/mo | $152,590 | 87K | Compare → |
| 103 | Lake Forest | 196 | $2,482/mo | $128,358 | 86K | Compare → |
| 104 | Thousand Oaks | 196 | $2,483/mo | $125,399 | 127K | Compare → |
| 105 | San Jose | 199 | $2,526/mo | $136,010 | 1.0M | Compare → |
| 106 | Daly City | 201 | $2,554/mo | $114,910 | 104K | Compare → |
| 107 | Chino Hills | 203 | $2,575/mo | $117,548 | 78K | Compare → |
| 108 | Mission Viejo | 207 | $2,622/mo | $136,570 | 93K | Compare → |
| 109 | Irvine | 217 | $2,749/mo | $122,948 | 305K | Compare → |
| 110 | San Ramon | 218 | $2,768/mo | $190,829 | 86K | Compare → |
| 111 | Pleasanton | 222 | $2,815/mo | $181,639 | 79K | Compare → |
| 112 | Fremont | 223 | $2,824/mo | $169,023 | 229K | Compare → |
| 113 | Santa Clara | 224 | $2,841/mo | $165,352 | 128K | Compare → |
| 114 | Mountain View | 225 | $2,855/mo | $174,156 | 82K | Compare → |
| 115 | Redwood City | 229 | $2,899/mo | $145,620 | 83K | Compare → |
| 116 | Newport Beach | 230 | $2,920/mo | $149,471 | 85K | Compare → |
| 117 | San Mateo | 234 | $2,971/mo | $149,152 | 104K | Compare → |
| 118 | Milpitas | 235 | $2,981/mo | $166,769 | 79K | Compare → |
| 119 | Sunnyvale | 236 | $2,990/mo | $174,506 | 155K | Compare → |
Across California, Merced is the most affordable city we track (cost index 94, with median rent around $1,197/mo), while Sunnyvale sits at the top of the range with an index of 236—roughly 150% pricier than Merced. Use the table above to compare any California city directly against Merced.
The other end of the ranking — priciest first.