F
119%
Overall NAT. AVG.
8%
Goods & Services NAT. AVG.
356%
Housing NAT. AVG.
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Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2023 and was released from C2ER in January, 2024; 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 Fremont California National
Cost of living219140100
Goods & Services108111100
Groceries115112100
Health care123109100
Housing456196100
Transportation130126100
Utilities132127100

An Overview of Cost of Living in Fremont, CA

Understanding the cost of living in Fremont 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 Fremont cost of living index is 219, which is 119% 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 you're in pursuit of an economical living environment, Fremont may not fit the bill, as it ranks among the most expensive places to reside in the United States. Just a minority of regions exhibit a cost of living that is more than 20% higher than the national average, and, unfortunately, Fremont falls within this bracket.

Housing costs significantly influence the Fremont cost of living index, typically accounting for a substantial portion of one's post-tax income. Regrettably, within this particular region, expenses related to both residential ownership and renting exceeded those observed in an average city by 356.3%. This entails elements such as housing and rental prices, mortgage interest rates and insurance costs.

The surge in grocery costs is indeed alarming, especially when groceries make up a large portion of your monthly expenditures. Over the past two years, there has been an inflation of over 10% in grocery prices. Unfortunately, Fremont does not fare better, with grocery expenses coming in at 14.5% higher than the national average.

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

The real experts on a city are its residents. That's why we reached out to 25 locals to get their views on the cost of living in Fremont. We surveyed the residents and asked them if they felt like prices were affordable or out of reach. The results were as follows. 32% found it budget-friendly with decreasing prices, while 68% said it's simply not affordable as prices have continued to rise.

Is Fremont Affordable?

Is Fremont an affordable place to live? That's a valid question to ask when you're thinking about moving to a new city. After all, how much it costs to live somewhere can be a huge factor in your decision. Affordability can be broken down into 3 common categories. The cost of living index (we talked about it earlier), housing expenses and income levels all play a big role in figuring out if a place is affordable. For instance, in Fremont, the median home price is 441.1% higher than what most folks pay across the country, and monthly rent prices are 158.5% higher than the usual rates. Income levels in Fremont come in at $142,374, which is 157.4% higher than the national average.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Fremont?

Taxes: Areas with higher taxes, including sales taxes and income taxes, can contribute to a higher cost of living. Paying more tax for everyday goods and services like clothing and food will result in higher costs, as will paying a higher rate of income tax. The general sales tax rate in Fremont starts at 7.25% and the income tax rates start at 1%.

Subsidies: Some areas might offer government subsidies or assistance programs that help lower cost of living for residents. These programs can include anything from 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 crop subsidies. Areas that offer less subsidies, could see an increase in their cost of living.

Urbanization: Urban areas with a wealth of amenities and employment opportunities tend to come with a higher price tag for living. Why? Well, more people want to be there, which drives up home prices and rents. On the flip side, less densely populated rural areas or places where there's not as much demand usually mean fewer attractions, things to do and slower job growth. That often results in a lower cost of living.

Where is the Data From?

The Fremont 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.

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Cost Of Living Quick Facts

  • The cost of living in Fremont is 57% higher than the California average
  • The cost of living in Fremont is 119% higher than the national average
  • Fremont housing is 356% 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 Fremont

See all the best places to live around Fremont

Compare Fremont, CA Cost of Living

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      Salary Calculator

      This is how much you would need to earn in
      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$167,858$13,988$3,916$5,036
      Renters$112,178$9,348$2,617$3,366
      The percent of monthly income spent on housing can be a good indicator of the affordability of housing in Fremont, 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 Fremont homeowners, is $167,858. This would allow for a maximum of $3,916 per month to be spent on housing costs. For renters, the median monthly income is $112,178 which would result in a maximum of $2,617 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%

      Goods & Services

      Item Fremont National avg. Difference
      Haircut $33.94$24.2639.9%
      Beauty Salon $48.51$45.566.5%
      Toothpaste $3.72$3.700.4%
      Shampoo $1.66$1.2829.9%
      Movie $13.31$12.139.7%
      Bowling $33.30$18.0085.0%

      Groceries

      Item Fremont National avg. Difference
      Ground Beef $5.79$5.840.8%
      Fried Chicken $2.13$1.5735.7%
      Milk $5.05$4.678.2%
      Potatoes $4.77$4.933.4%
      Pizza $14.92$12.0923.5%
      Beer $10.99$10.415.6%

      Health Care

      Item Fremont National avg. Difference
      Optometrist $158.95$125.6826.5%
      Doctor $194.05$135.7842.9%
      Dentist $147.78$113.2930.4%
      Ibuprofen $11.51$10.658.1%
      Lipitor $390.15$468.6016.7%

      Housing

      Item Fremont National avg. Difference
      Home Price $999,500.00$184,700.00441.1%
      Avg. Mortgage Payment $8,581.10$2,346.69265.7%
      Apartment Rent $2,453.00$949.00158.5%

      Transportation

      Item Fremont National avg. Difference
      Gasoline $4.81$3.4638.9%
      Tire Balancing $65.62$59.929.5%

      Utilities

      Item Fremont National avg. Difference
      All Electricity $294.74$193.9951.9%
      Phone $190.07$192.251.1%
      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.
      Mountain View CDP, CA2,58513030.1%
      Cherryland, CA15,97615858.3%
      Ashland, CA23,56616463.8%
      San Lorenzo, CA30,11717171.4%
      San Leandro, CA90,48917271.8%
      Fremont, CA234,829219118.7%

      Cities with similar population

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Hialeah, FL233,87611413.6%
      Arlington, VA236,43417777.1%
      Garland, TX238,6221098.5%
      Windsor, ON230,583n/a 
      Richmond, VA229,2331088.4%
      Fremont, CA234,829219118.7%
      Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2023 and was released from C2ER in January, 2024; this is the most current data available.