F
107%
Overall NAT. AVG.
22%
Goods & Services NAT. AVG.
301%
Housing NAT. AVG.
Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.
The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living is 90, then it is 10% lower than average. If the cost of living is 110, then it is 10% higher than average. The breakdown for each index is as follows: goods & services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). If the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used.
Index Morgan Hill California National
Cost of living207143100
Goods & Services122115100
Groceries110108100
Health care107103100
Housing401197100
Transportation137136100
Utilities143144100
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An Overview of Cost of Living in Morgan Hill, CA

Understanding the cost of living in Morgan Hill can help future residents assess whether their current financial situation aligns with the expenses they will encounter. It enables them to plan for potential changes in their budget and lifestyle. The Morgan Hill cost of living index is 207, which is 107% higher than the national average. The cost of living index is calculated by taking into account multiple categories, which encompass both the cost of everyday expenditures and larger expenses as well.

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 Morgan Hill 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, Morgan Hill falls into this category, which may not align with your goal of finding a budget-friendly living environment.

Housing costs make up a big chunk of the cost of living in Morgan Hill, and they usually eat into a large part of your take-home pay. Unfortunately, in this area, both buying a home and renting one costs 301.1% more than the average city. This includes stuff like home prices, rent, mortgage rates, and insurance.

Everyday goods and services make up 33% of the cost of living index and include things like clothing, personal hygiene products and entertainment which are a large portion of your monthly expenditures. Unfortunately, Morgan Hill goods and services are 21.5% more expensive than the national average, leaving you with less money at the end of the month.

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 Morgan Hill, the news isn't any better as grocery prices are 10.4% higher than the national average.

What Do Locals Say About the Cost of Living in Morgan Hill?

The most insightful perspective on a city comes from its residents. We recently surveyed 8 locals to gauge their perception of the cost of living in Morgan Hill. The feedback revealed that 13% of respondents found the cost of living to be reasonable, with prices on the decline, while 88% regarded it as notably expensive with prices that continue to rise.

Is Morgan Hill Affordable?

Is Morgan Hill an affordable place to live? It's a good question and one that you might want to ask when considering any new city, as affordability can play a huge role in the decision making process. The cost of living index (which we covered above), as well as housing costs and income levels play a vital role in determining the affordability of an area. The median home price in Morgan Hill is 389.6% higher than the national average, while the average monthly rent prices are 94.7% higher than average. The affordability of any location can also be influenced by median income levels. Morgan Hill has a median household income of $187,969, which is 131.1% higher than the national average.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Morgan Hill?

Groceries: The costs associated with groceries have witnessed substantial increases over the past 2-3 years. In select markets, food prices have escalated by more than 20% during this timeframe, whereas others have seen more restrained upticks. The variances in food expenses can exert a considerable influence on the overall cost of living in a given locale. In Morgan Hill, the groceries index is 10.4% higher than the national average.

Urbanization: Larger, urban areas boasting abundant amenities and robust employment prospects often exhibit a heightened cost of living, driven by the increased demand for services and residential relocation. Consequently, this leads to elevated home prices and higher rental rates. In contrast, sparsely populated rural locales or regions marked by diminished demand typically offer a more limited range of amenities and experience slower job market expansion. This translates into a more affordable cost of living.

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 Morgan Hill, the housing index stands at 301.1% higher than the national average.

Where is the Data From?

The Morgan Hill cost of living data displayed above is derived from the C2ER cost of living index to provide a useful and reasonably accurate measure of living cost differences in urban areas. The index takes into account data from 300 independent researches, covering more than 60 goods and services across 6 different categories, to create an overall index for each area, with 100 being the average. The C2ER index does not include sales or income tax rates in their data, however AreaVibes does include both income and sales tax rates in the overall cost of living score for each area.

Cost Of Living Quick Facts

  • The cost of living in Morgan Hill is 44% higher than the California average
  • The cost of living in Morgan Hill is 107% higher than the national average
  • Morgan Hill housing is 301% higher than the national average
  • California general sales tax is 42% higher than the national average
  • California state income tax is 61% lower than the national average

Most Affordable Places to Live in and Around Morgan Hill

See all the best places to live around Morgan Hill

Compare Morgan Hill, CA Cost of Living

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      Price difference in compared to
      Cost of living index
      Goods & Services index
      Groceries index
      Health care index
      Housing index
      Transportation index
      Utilities index

      Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

      Median Income Per Year Per Month Max Budget (28% DTI) Max Budget (36% DTI)
      Owners$234,765$19,564$5,477$7,044
      Renters$110,588$9,216$2,580$3,318
      A good way to judge both the affordability of the housing and the cost of living in Morgan Hill is by simply calculating the maximum that should be spent on housing, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). The plan is to avoid spending more than 28 percent of the gross income on costs that pertain to housing and no more than 36 percent on all expenses and debts. Morgan Hill has a median income of about $234,765 for people who own homes. Based on that number, a maximum of $5,477 should be spent on expenses related to housing. Renters have a slightly different median income, which is $110,588. Based on this average, renters should spend no more than $2,580 on all rental costs if they want to maintain a non-impoverished standard of living.

      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%

      Goods & Services

      Item Morgan Hill National avg. Difference
      Haircut $29.74$27.627.7%
      Beauty Salon $81.94$51.1160.3%
      Toothpaste $4.09$4.090.1%
      Shampoo $2.23$1.5444.6%
      Movie $17.31$12.8834.4%
      Yoga $35.00$19.6678.0%

      Groceries

      Item Morgan Hill National avg. Difference
      Ground Beef $8.02$7.704.1%
      Fried Chicken $2.65$1.6659.4%
      Milk $5.18$4.739.4%
      Potatoes $4.86$5.267.5%
      Pizza $19.60$12.7653.6%
      Beer $11.35$10.557.6%

      Health Care

      Item Morgan Hill National avg. Difference
      Optometrist $175.85$140.0625.6%
      Doctor $150.69$153.822.0%
      Dentist $135.64$123.1510.1%
      Ibuprofen $12.52$11.736.7%
      Lipitor $24.08$23.612.0%

      Housing

      Item Morgan Hill National avg. Difference
      Home Price $1,599,140.00$326,622.00389.6%
      Avg. Mortgage Payment $9,604.61$2,480.25287.2%
      Apartment Rent $2,811.00$1,444.0094.7%

      Transportation

      Item Morgan Hill National avg. Difference
      Gasoline $4.55$3.0648.9%
      Tire Balancing $69.75$65.217.0%

      Utilities

      Item Morgan Hill National avg. Difference
      All Electricity $372.98$220.1269.4%
      Phone $194.17$195.710.8%
      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 Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Freedom, CA4,07315353.1%
      Watsonville, CA54,19915757.2%
      Interlaken, CA7,87116767.4%
      Amesti, CA3,35918483.8%
      Gilroy, CA56,37118686.5%
      Morgan Hill, CA45,880207107.0%

      Cities with similar population

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Whitney, NV45,8771000.1%
      San Bruno, CA45,907224124.1%
      Oakland Park, FL45,90711312.7%
      Cleveland Heights, OH45,821936.6%
      Plainfield, IL45,97412221.7%
      Morgan Hill, CA45,880207107.0%
      Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.