Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Mountain View's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
Index: 100 = US city average. Values >100 mean more expensive, <100 means cheaper.
How far does your salary go in Mountain View?
Your $100,000 in Mountain View has the same purchasing power as $44,413 in the average US city. You'd need $55,587 more here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Mountain View, California has a cost-of-living index of 225, which is 125% above the national average. The typical renter pays $2,855 per month. The median household earns $174,156 per year.
To match the lifestyle of a $70,000 earner in the average US city, you'd need about $157,612 per year in Mountain View. Single renters typically want at least three times the $34,260 threshold to cover housing comfortably.
Mountain View is more expensive than most US cities. Overall prices are 125% above the national average.