Saratoga, CA Cost Of Living

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Saratoga 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	Saratoga	California	National
Cost of living index	311	140	100
Index	Saratoga	California	National
Goods & Services index	130	111	100
Groceries index	126	118	100
Health care index	127	113	100
Housing index	737	196	100
Transportation index	137	128	100
Utilities index	121	118	100

An overview of the general cost of living index for Saratoga, CA is displayed above for your reference. Residents in Saratoga, CA enjoy a cost of living index of 311. This index is 122% higher than the California average, and 211% higher than the national average. The following categories are used when determining the cost of living index for any given city: health care (5%), transportation (9%), utilities (10%), groceries (13%), housing (30%), and goods/services (33%). Clearly, housing and goods/services make up the majority of the formula for calculating the cost of living index. Because of this, the general cost of living for any given area can be estimated by looking at the cost of everyday goods in that area. For those living in Saratoga, CA, the average cost of goods and services is 16% higher than it is in California, and it is 30% higher than the national average.

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Did you know?

The cost of living in Saratoga is 122% higher than the California average.
The cost of living in Saratoga is 211% higher than the national average.
The cost of housing in Saratoga is 637% 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 Saratoga, 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 used in order to provide a comparison of your current salary in Saratoga, 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 Saratoga, CA, you would have to earn a higher income to maintain a standard of living that is similar. To get started with the Saratoga, 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	$181,149	$15,096	$4,227	$5,435
Renters	$111,660	$9,305	$2,605	$3,350

One can approximate the cost of living and the housing affordability in Saratoga, CA by the percentage of a person’s income that he or she spends on the monthly housing, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). To stay on the safe side and keep one’s head above the water, a consumer should never spend more than 28 percent of his or her gross income on housing-related expenses and costs and not more than 36 percent of income on all expenses and debts. Homeowners in Saratoga, CA have a median income of $181,149. Therefore, the amount that a consumer should spend on housing costs should be no more than $4,227 per month to avoid calamity and poverty. The renters in the city have an income of about $111,660, which would make their monthly maximum allowable rental costs $2,605.

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%

For those who live in Saratoga, CA and want to know what the true cost of living is, they ought to look at both the California income tax rate and the California sales tax rate. By sales tax, we mean the taxes that are included whenever a person is purchasing any goods or services. The amount that is taxed depends upon the particular state, where some states have a sales tax of zero percent while others can have a tax higher than seven percent. In California, the sales tax is 7.25%, while the most you'll pay in surtax is 10.5%. There is also income tax to consider, which is based upon the amount of money made in a year. Just like sales tax, income tax depends upon the particular state but also depends upon what tax bracket the person is in. Income tax for the state can be higher than nine percent in some states to zero percent in others. For those that live in California, the income tax rate ranges between 1% to 13.3%.

Goods & Services

Item	Saratoga	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	Saratoga	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	Saratoga	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	Saratoga	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$1,742,900.00	$184,700.00	843.6%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$3,196.29	$1,273.32	151.0%
Apartment Rent	$2,410.00	$949.00	154.0%

Transportation

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

Utilities

Item	Saratoga	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.

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Mountain View CDP, CA	2,585	138	38%
Zayante, CA	941	148	48%
Lompico, CA	902	148	48%
Boulder Creek, CA	4,442	157	57%
Alum Rock, CA	11,877	159	59%
Saratoga, CA	30,830	311	211%

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Miami Lakes, FL	30,833	123	23%
Granger, IN	30,819	107	7%
Oceanside, NY	30,813	154	54%
Queen Creek, AZ	30,849	111	11%
Holladay, UT	30,793	120	20%
Saratoga, CA	30,830	311	211%

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

Saratoga, CA Cost of Living