Cost of living in Palo Alto
Palo Alto (CA), United States
compared to
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Cost of living in Palo Alto vs. United States overall average
Palo Alto is 37.1% more expensive than United States overall.
- Restaurants
-
pay 22.1% more in Palo Alto
- Groceries
-
pay 32.9% more in Palo Alto
- Transportation
-
pay 18.1% more in Palo Alto
- Housing
-
pay 65.8% more in Palo Alto
- Childcare
-
pay 84.8% more in Palo Alto
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 41.9% more in Palo Alto
- Clothing
-
pay 5.7% less in Palo Alto
The cost of childcare, housing, entertainment and sports, groceries, restaurants, and transportation in Palo Alto are more expensive than in United States. Notably, childcare is significantly more expensive in Palo Alto.
Palo Alto Cost of Living Breakdown
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $27.50 |
$15.00
-
$50.00
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$11.50 |
$10.00
-
$13.00
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $3.00 |
$2.00
-
$5.00
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $2.17 |
$1.99
-
$3.00
|
Palo Alto - Cost of restaurants
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$5.22 |
$3.63
-
$6.60
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $8.45 |
$4.41
-
$13.23
|
| Milk (1 gallon) | $5.33 |
$2.99
-
$7.00
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$5.50 |
$2.99
-
$7.00
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $7.75 |
$3.98
-
$9.99
|
| Apples (1 lb) | $3.30 |
$1.50
-
$5.00
|
| Bananas (1 lb) | $0.90 |
$0.90
-
$2.75
|
| Oranges (1 lb) | $1.60 |
$0.97
-
$4.25
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $3.00 |
$2.00
-
$3.49
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $1.89 |
$0.66
-
$3.00
|
| Onions (1 lb) | $1.66 |
$0.98
-
$3.00
|
Palo Alto - Cost of groceries
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $4.85 |
$4.45
-
$5.50
|
| Monthly public transit pass | $90.00 |
??
-
??
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $30,530.00 |
$23,536.00
-
$36,753.89
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $18.41 |
$18.41
-
$36.83
|
Palo Alto - Cost of transportation
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$60.00 |
$45.00
-
$84.00
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $3,397.50 |
$3,395.00
-
$3,400.00
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $3,198.33 |
$3,000.00
-
$3,395.00
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$213.87 |
$127.68
-
$354.55
|
Palo Alto - Cost of housing
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $2,705.00 |
$1,500.00
-
$2,808.33
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $37,770.00 |
$37,770.00
-
$40,000.00
|
Palo Alto - Cost of childcare
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $8.00 |
$5.00
-
$11.00
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $5.10 |
$3.09
-
$7.00
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$11.00 |
$10.00
-
$13.00
|
| Monthly membership at local gym | $120.00 |
$40.00
-
$200.00
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $15.99 |
$12.00
-
$20.00
|
Palo Alto - Cost of entertainment and sports
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$45.00 |
$45.00
-
$70.00
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$36.12 |
$24.99
-
$50.00
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$80.00 |
$50.00
-
$120.00
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $117.22 |
$80.00
-
$200.00
|
Palo Alto - Cost of clothing
Tip: Try viewing our aggregate cost of living in California
to see the average cost of cities throughout California, like
Quincy,
Monterey Park,
Pacific Palisades,
Walnut,
Paradise,
and more.
For a detailed breakdown of Santa Cruz vs. the national average, see the cost of living in United States compared to Palo Alto.
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