| Index | Big Bear City | California | National |
| Cost of living | 126 | 141 | 100 |
| Groceries | 113 | 111 | 100 |
| Health care | 113 | 116 | 100 |
| Housing | 147 | 197 | 100 |
| Transportation | 120 | 118 | 100 |
| Utilities | 122 | 119 | 100 |
| Lifestyle & Entertainment | 114 | 120 | 100 |
| Household Items | 112 | 111 | 100 |
| Education & Childcare | 131 | 127 | 100 |
The cost of living in Big Bear City affects the quality of life one can afford in this new location. It allows people to assess whether they can maintain their preferred lifestyle, including housing, leisure activities and dining options. Your total monthly expenditures can varry depending on the area, as well as many other factors. The cost of living in Big Bear City is 126, which is 26% higher than the national average. Knowledge of the cost of living can help individuals make informed decisions about retirement savings, investments, and financial goals.
If affordability is among your top priorities when searching for a new place to live, this area may not be the ideal fit, as the cost of living in Big Bear City is among the most expensive in the United States. Just a minority of areas exhibit a cost of living at least 20% higher than the national average, and unfortunately, Big Bear City falls into this category, which may not align with your goal of finding a budget-friendly living environment.
When it comes to the cost of living in Big Bear City, housing costs are a real heavyweight, often hogging a significant chunk of your earnings. Sadly, in this area, housing expenses for both buying and renting were 46.6% more expensive compared to your average city. That means you'll be shelling out more for homes, rents, mortgage rates and insurance.
Recurring household expenses such as cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, toiletries, and kitchen basics are a steady part of monthly spending and make up 8% of the cost of living index. In Big Bear City, these everyday items will cost you 11.6% more than average, making it a slightly more expensive place to call home.
The cost of groceries continues to rise at an alarming rate. Over the last two years, grocery prices have increased by more than 10%! Unfortunately, in Big Bear City, the news isn't any better as grocery prices are 13.3% higher than the national average.
Is Big Bear City affordable? It's a key consideration when pondering a move, as affordability often shapes your choices. The cost of living index (we discussed it earlier), coupled with housing costs and income levels, serves as the cornerstone for determining a location's affordability. Take Big Bear City, for instance, where the median home price falls 59.4% higher than the national average, and monthly rent rates are 16.8% higher than usual. Additionally, median income levels contribute to the equation, with Big Bear City flaunting a median household income of $74,296, 8.7% lower than the national norm.
Healthcare: Healthcare costs and insurance premiums can fluctuate greatly based on the city or state. Access to healthcare facilities, out-of-pocket expenses for doctor\’s visits, dentist costs, medication costs and specialized care costs can all impact the cost of living. In Big Bear City, the healthcare costs are 13.2% higher than the national average.
Housing: A sought-after location with high housing demand often leads to increased property values and rental rates, which can significantly inflate the overall cost of living. Conversely, areas with low housing demand, particularly in less desirable locales, tend to experience the opposite effect, causing prices to drop and contributing to a more affordable cost of living. In Big Bear City, the housing index stands at 46.6% higher than the national average.
Utilities: Like everything else, utilities costs can range significantly depending on factors like climate, energy sources available, location and even state regulations. Things like electricity, water, heating and waste disposal costs can be higher or lower, depending on the city or state. The utilities index in Big Bear City comes in at 22.1% higher than the national average.
The Big Bear City cost of living estimates above use a normalized U.S. average of 100 as the baseline for comparison. Housing values incorporate local home price and rental information from the U.S. Census, while all other estimates are AI-assisted and modeled using expected everyday expenses, local market trends, climate, and transportation-related cost pressures. The results are intended for practical city-to-city comparisons.
| Cost of living index | |
| Groceries index | |
| Health care index | |
| Housing index | |
| Transportation index | |
| Utilities index | |
| Lifestyle index | |
| Household index | |
| Educare index |
| Median Income | Per Year | Per Month | Max Budget (28% DTI) | Max Budget (36% DTI) |
| Owners | $92,646 | $7,721 | $2,162 | $2,780 |
| Renters | $47,613 | $3,968 | $1,111 | $1,429 |
| State | General Sales Tax | With Max Surtax |
| California | 7.25% | 10.5% |
| State | Income Tax (Low) | Income Tax (High) |
| California | 1% | 13.3% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Lucerne Valley, CA | 5,837 | 109 | 8.8% |
| Running Springs, CA | 4,509 | 123 | 23.4% |
| Big Bear Lake, CA | 5,513 | 139 | 38.6% |
| Big Bear City, CA | 12,934 | 126 | 26.1% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| South Charleston, WV | 12,935 | 88 | 11.9% |
| Wilmington, OH | 12,936 | 87 | 12.6% |
| Endicott, NY | 12,939 | 94 | 6.2% |
| Lakeland, TN | 12,926 | 112 | 11.8% |
| Justice, IL | 12,945 | 102 | 2.2% |
| Big Bear City, CA | 12,934 | 126 | 26.1% |
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