Los Altos, CA Cost Of Living

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Los Altos 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	Los Altos	California	National
Cost of living index	342	140	100
Index	Los Altos	California	National
Goods & Services index	130	111	100
Groceries index	126	118	100
Health care index	127	113	100
Housing index	841	196	100
Transportation index	137	128	100
Utilities index	121	118	100

The above illustration supplies generalized information for the Los Altos, CA cost of living index. Compared to other cities in California and cities across the country, the cost of living index in Los Altos, CA is 342, which is 144% higher than the California average and 242% higher than that for the entire country. The index is comprised of the following criteria: cost of retail goods and services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), cost of public/private transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). Everyday goods and services, along with housing account for 63 percent of the total cost of living index. Goods and services that are a necessity regardless of location provide an accurate general sense of the cost of living in one city versus another. As seen above, the cost of retail goods and services in Los Altos, CA are 16% higher than the average for California and 30% higher than the rest of the country.

Did you know?

The cost of living in Los Altos is 144% higher than the California average.
The cost of living in Los Altos is 242% higher than the national average.
The cost of housing in Los Altos is 741% 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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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 used in order to provide a comparison of your current salary in Los Altos, CA to another city of your choice. The calculator will inform you of what your salary needs to be in any specific city in order for you to maintain your living standard based on what the city’s cost of living is. As an example, if you are seeking to move to a city that has a higher cost of living compared to Los Altos, CA, you would have to earn a higher income to maintain a standard of living that is similar. To get started with the Los Altos, CA salary calculator, input the new city’s name and then move the slider to indicate your current income. The salary calculator will now process the numbers and show you whether you need to earn more or less in the chosen city. A comprehensive breakdown of the cost of living will also be shown.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$203,676	$16,973	$4,752	$6,111
Renters	$126,179	$10,515	$2,944	$3,786

The percent of monthly income spent on housing can be a good indicator of the affordability of housing in Los Altos, CA as well as the overall cost of living. As a general rule of thumb, the debt-to-income ratio (DTI) for homeowners or renters should be not more than 28 percent of gross income to be spent on housing related costs and not more than 36 percent of income on all expenses, including debts. The median income for Los Altos, CA homeowners, is $203,676. This would allow for a maximum of $4,752 per month to be spent on housing costs. For renters, the median monthly income is $126,179 which would result in a maximum of $2,944 to be spent on rental costs.

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 Los Altos, 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	Los Altos	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$19.71	$17.49	12.7%
Beauty Salon	$67.86	$38.17	77.8%
Toothpaste	$2.93	$2.32	26.2%
Shampoo	$1.33	$1.01	31.4%
Movie	$12.11	$10.72	12.9%
Bowling	$19.83	$13.86	43.1%

Groceries

Item	Los Altos	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$3.71	$3.90	4.9%
Fried Chicken	$1.35	$1.40	3.3%
Milk	$2.39	$1.96	21.8%
Potatoes	$2.66	$3.18	16.4%
Pizza	$13.70	$10.39	31.8%
Beer	$10.49	$9.23	13.7%

Health Care

Item	Los Altos	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$136.71	$106.34	28.6%
Doctor	$150.71	$115.25	30.8%
Dentist	$139.14	$98.38	41.4%
Ibuprofen	$11.99	$9.26	29.5%
Lipitor	$442.32	$466.47	5.2%

Housing

Item	Los Altos	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$2,000,001.00	$184,700.00	982.8%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$3,196.29	$1,273.32	151.0%
Apartment Rent	$2,611.00	$949.00	175.1%

Transportation

Item	Los Altos	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$3.79	$2.59	46.2%
Tire Balancing	$61.00	$48.90	24.8%

Utilities

Item	Los Altos	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$228.47	$167.60	36.3%
Phone	$184.65	$163.42	13.0%

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.

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Loma Mar, CA	150	133	33%
Mountain View CDP, CA	2,585	138	38%
Alum Rock, CA	11,877	159	59%
East Palo Alto, CA	29,353	163	63%
Newark, CA	44,677	169	69%
Los Altos, CA	30,238	342	242%

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Liberty, MO	30,239	97	-3%
Sherwood, AR	30,251	92	-8%
Santa Paula, CA	30,283	127	27%
North Royalton, OH	30,302	101	1%
Princeton, NJ	30,168	182	82%
Los Altos, CA	30,238	342	242%

Los Altos, CA Cost of Living