Cost of Living in Burlingame, CA

An Overview of Cost of Living in Burlingame, CA

Are you thinking about relocating, but curious about the potential cost of living in Burlingame? Is it more expensive or more affordable than average? Based on the most recent report, the cost of living in Burlingame stands at 336, making it 236% higher than the national average. The cost of living directly affects the affordability of one's desired lifestyle. Knowing the cost of housing, transportation, groceries and other essentials in the new area allows people to gauge whether they can maintain their preferred standard of living.

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 Burlingame 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, Burlingame 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 Burlingame, 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 730.9% more than the average city. This includes stuff like home prices, rent, mortgage rates, and insurance.

Goods and services make up 33% of the total cost of living index score and are a large part of your everyday expenses. These items could include things like haircuts, salons, toothpaste, shampoo, clothes, movies, bowling, gym memberships or yoga. In Burlingame, you can expect to pay 19.9% more than average for these items, making it a more expensive place to live.

The relentless increase in grocery prices is a noteworthy trend. In the last two years, grocery costs have experienced an upward trajectory of over 10%. Unfortunately, Burlingame is no exception, where grocery prices are 22.5% above the national average.

What Do Locals Say About the Cost of Living in Burlingame?

Locals have the inside scoop on their city. So, we polled 7 residents in Burlingame to learn how they view the cost of living. We asked how they felt about the cost of living in their area, and if they thought that prices were increasing, decreasing or staying the same. The verdict? 14% find it reasonable with decreasing prices, but 86% think it's quite pricey, with prices that continue to rise.

Is Burlingame Affordable?

Wondering if Burlingame is affordable? It's a question that often comes up when you're thinking about a new city since affordability can really shape your decisions. The cost of living index (covered earlier), housing expenses and income levels all play a part in the affordability equation. In Burlingame, for example, the median home price is 982.8% higher than what folks pay nationally, and monthly rent is 142.9% higher than the usual rates. Plus, income levels matter too, with Burlingame boasting a median household income of $138,344, which is 150.1% higher than the national average.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Burlingame?

Subsidies: Certain regions may provide government subsidies or assistance initiatives designed to alleviate the cost of living burden on their residents. These programs encompass a wide range of support mechanisms, such as Medicare, Medicaid, housing subsidies, low-income home energy assistance programs, school lunch programs, supplemental nutrition assistance programs, student loans, electric vehicle tax credits, affordable care act subsidies and farming subsidies. Areas with fewer subsidy offerings might experience an elevation in their cost of living.

Groceries: Over the past 2-3 years, grocery expenses have experienced substantial upward trends. In certain markets, food prices have surged by over 20% during this period, while others have witnessed more modest increases. These fluctuations in food costs can wield significant influence over the overall cost of living in a given region. In Burlingame, the groceries index is 22.5% higher than the national average.

Healthcare: Healthcare costs and insurance premiums can fluctuate greatly based on the city or state. Access to healthcare facilities, out-of-pocket expenses for doctor\’s visits, dentist costs, medication costs and specialized care costs can all impact the cost of living. In Burlingame, the healthcare costs are 24.8% higher than the national average.

Where is the Data From?

The Burlingame 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. Published on a quarterly basis, it compiles data from more than 300 independent researchers, encompassing over 60 goods and services. These items have been meticulously selected to represent various consumer expenditure categories, in 6 categories. Weightings assigned to cost differentials draw from government survey data tracking spending patterns among professional and executive households. While the C2ER index excludes data on sales or income tax rates, AreaVibes incorporates tax rates into the overall cost of living score for each region.