El Cajon, CA Cost Of Living

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El Cajon cost of living index

In the event that the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used. Each cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. If the amount is below 100, it is lower than the national average. If the amount is above 100, it is higher than the national average.
Index	El Cajon	California	National
Cost of living index	133	140	100
Index	El Cajon	California	National
Goods & Services index	108	111	100
Groceries index	116	118	100
Health care index	110	113	100
Housing index	176	196	100
Transportation index	130	128	100
Utilities index	119	118	100

A general summary of the cost of living index in El Cajon, CA is shown above. Compared to the state average of California the cost of living index in El Cajon, CA is 133, which is 5% lower than the average in California and compared to the national average it is 33% higher than. The cost of living index is made up of several categories. These are transportation at 9%, utilities at 10%, goods and services at 33%, housing at 30%, groceries at 13%, and health care at 5%. The bulk of the cost of living index comes from the categories of goods and services and housing. If you look at everyday goods and services they can be a good indicator in a certain city of the general costs of goods there. In El Cajon, CA goods and services come in at 3% lower than the average in California and are 8% higher than compared to the nationwide average.

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Did you know?

The cost of living in El Cajon is 5% lower than the California average.
The cost of living in El Cajon is 33% higher than the national average.
The cost of housing in El Cajon is 76% higher than the national average.
California general sales tax is 42% higher than the national average.
California state income tax is 55% lower than the national average.

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Compare El Cajon, CA Cost of living To Other Cities

Salary Calculator

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Cost of living index
Goods & Services index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index

The salary calculator is meant to help you compare your salary in El Cajon, CA to your potential earning power in another city. This can help you deduce what your salary would need to be in any given city in order for you to live the same lifestyle that you do in your current city. In other words, if you plan on moving to a city where the cost of living is higher than in El Cajon, CA, you'll have to make more money in the new city in order to maintain the lifestyle you currently enjoy. To use the El Cajon, CA salary calculator, simply input the new city, then move the adjustable slider to match your current income. Once you've selected your income, the calculator will determine if that income is sufficient to support your standard of living in the new city you entered. The calculator will also supply you with a rundown of living costs in the new city.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$78,125	$6,510	$1,823	$2,344
Renters	$33,060	$2,755	$771	$992

If you want to find a good determining factor for the cost of living and the general affordability of housing in El Cajon, CA, all you must look at is the percentage of monthly income that should be spent on housing expenses, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). Generally speaking, no more than 28 percent of your total gross income should be spent on your housing expenses and not more than 36 percent of your gross income on total expenses, including debts. In El Cajon, CA, the median monthly income is $78,125 for those who own their own homes. Under the standard rule, that income level would allow for $1,823 to be budgeted for housing expenses each month, at the most. Renters, on the other hand, earn about $33,060, per the median income in the area. That would allow for renters to spend up to $771 on monthly rental expenses.

California Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
California	7.25%	10.5%

California Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
California	1%	13.3%

The California sales tax and California income tax rates should definitely be considered when determining the overall cost of living in El Cajon, CA. Sales taxes are taxes that are imposed onto goods and services sold. Sales taxes do vary by state and can range from no tax at all to upwards of 7%. The California sales tax is 7.25% and the maximum surtax is 10.5%. Income tax is the tax imposed on income by the government. The income tax rates will vary by state and will also increase or decrease depending on the corresponding tax bracket. State income tax rates can range from anywhere from no tax at all to more than 9%. The California income tax rates range from 1% to 13.3%.

Goods & Services

Item	El Cajon	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$20.80	$17.49	18.9%
Beauty Salon	$61.25	$38.17	60.5%
Toothpaste	$2.49	$2.32	7.3%
Shampoo	$1.39	$1.01	37.4%
Movie	$14.12	$10.72	31.7%
Bowling	$20.67	$13.86	49.1%

Groceries

Item	El Cajon	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$3.32	$3.90	14.9%
Fried Chicken	$1.79	$1.40	28.2%
Milk	$2.19	$1.96	11.6%
Potatoes	$2.99	$3.18	6.1%
Pizza	$10.99	$10.39	5.7%
Beer	$9.66	$9.23	4.7%

Health Care

Item	El Cajon	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$114.50	$106.34	7.7%
Doctor	$131.25	$115.25	13.9%
Dentist	$104.00	$98.38	5.7%
Ibuprofen	$12.32	$9.26	33.0%
Lipitor	$483.87	$466.47	3.7%

Housing

Item	El Cajon	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$369,000.00	$184,700.00	99.8%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$2,842.85	$1,273.32	123.3%
Apartment Rent	$1,137.00	$949.00	19.8%

Transportation

Item	El Cajon	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$3.79	$2.59	46.2%
Tire Balancing	$52.00	$48.90	6.4%

Utilities

Item	El Cajon	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$230.87	$167.60	37.7%
Phone	$173.40	$163.42	6.1%

Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Spring Valley CDP (Lake County), CA	1,154	105	5%
Bostonia, CA	16,295	123	23%
National City, CA	60,349	126	26%
La Presa, CA	37,110	128	28%
Winter Gardens, CA	21,255	130	30%
El Cajon, CA	102,894	133	33%

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Spring Hill, FL	102,929	90	-10%
Lakeland, FL	102,714	89	-11%
Rialto, CA	102,418	115	15%
Columbia, MD	103,439	130	30%
Lewisville, TX	102,327	101	1%
El Cajon, CA	102,894	133	33%

Source: The El Cajon, CA cost of living data displayed above is derived from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) for 2019.

El Cajon, CA Cost of Living