F
233%
Overall NAT. AVG.
16%
Goods & Services NAT. AVG.
740%
Housing NAT. AVG.
Search Homes for Sale
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 Manhattan Beach California National
Cost of living333140100
Goods & Services116111100
Groceries112112100
Health care108109100
Housing840196100
Transportation124126100
Utilities112127100

An Overview of Cost of Living in Manhattan Beach, CA

Are you thinking about relocating, but curious about the potential cost of living in Manhattan Beach? Is it more expensive or more affordable than average? Based on the most recent report, the cost of living in Manhattan Beach stands at 333, making it 233% 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 you're in pursuit of an economical living environment, Manhattan Beach 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, Manhattan Beach falls within this bracket.

When it comes to the cost of living in Manhattan Beach, housing costs are a real heavyweight, often hogging a significant chunk of your earnings. Sadly, in this area, housing expenses for both buying and renting were 739.6% more expensive compared to your average city. That means you'll be shelling out more for homes, rents, mortgage rates and insurance.

Recurring goods and services expenses like haircuts, toothpaste, gym memberships and movie nights are a big part of your spending and make up 33% of the cost of living index. In Manhattan Beach, these items will cost you 16.2% more than what most folks pay, making it a bit more expensive to live here.

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, Manhattan Beach does not fare better, with grocery expenses coming in at 12.2% higher than the national average.

What Do Locals Say About the Cost of Living in Manhattan Beach?

The real experts on a city are its residents. That's why we reached out to 10 locals to get their views on the cost of living in Manhattan Beach. We surveyed the residents and asked them if they felt like prices were affordable or out of reach. The results were as follows. 10% found it budget-friendly with decreasing prices, while 90% said it's simply not affordable as prices have continued to rise.

Is Manhattan Beach Affordable?

Is Manhattan Beach affordable? It's a key consideration when pondering a move, as affordability often shapes your choices. The cost of living index (we discussed it earlier), coupled with housing costs and income levels, serves as the cornerstone for determining a location's affordability. Take Manhattan Beach, for instance, where the median home price falls 982.8% higher than the national average, and monthly rent rates are 172.1% higher than usual. Additionally, median income levels contribute to the equation, with Manhattan Beach flaunting a median household income of $153,926, 178.2% higher than the national norm.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Manhattan Beach?

Urbanization: Urban areas with extensive amenities and job opportunities tend to have a higher cost of living due to increased demand for services and relocation, resulting in higher home prices and higher rents. Less densely populated rural areas, or areas with less demand tend to have fewer amenities and slower job growth, which results in a lower cost of living.

Utilities: Like everything else, utilities costs can range significantly depending on factors like climate, energy sources available, location and even state regulations. Things like electricity, water, heating and waste disposal costs can be higher or lower, depending on the city or state. The utilities index in Manhattan Beach comes in at 12.4% higher than the national average.

Transportation: In areas where public transportation is scarce or unavailable, residents often find themselves compelled to own and upkeep vehicles, thereby increasing the overall cost of living. Monthly expenses encompass fuel, insurance, routine maintenance and potentially lease or financing payments. In Manhattan Beach, the transportation index is 24.3% higher than the national average.

Where is the Data From?

The Manhattan Beach 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 Manhattan Beach is 138% higher than the California average
  • The cost of living in Manhattan Beach is 233% higher than the national average
  • Manhattan Beach housing is 740% 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 Manhattan Beach

See all the best places to live around Manhattan Beach

Compare Manhattan Beach, 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$182,868$15,239$4,267$5,487
      Renters$121,765$10,147$2,841$3,653
      A good indicator of the general affordability of housing in Manhattan Beach, CA, is the percentage of monthly income that should be spent on housing expenses, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). Generally speaking, no more than 28 percent of your total gross income should be spent on your housing expenses and not more than 36 percent of your gross income on total expenses, including debts. In Manhattan Beach, the median monthly income is $182,868 for those who own their own homes. Under the standard rule, that income level would allow for $4,267 to be budgeted for housing expenses each month, at the most. Renters, on the other hand, earn about $121,765, per the median income in the area. That would allow for renters to spend up to $2,841 on monthly rental expenses.

      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 Manhattan Beach National avg. Difference
      Haircut $24.67$24.261.7%
      Beauty Salon $49.33$45.568.3%
      Toothpaste $3.76$3.701.5%
      Shampoo $1.41$1.289.8%
      Movie $13.46$12.1311.0%
      Bowling $19.07$18.006.0%

      Groceries

      Item Manhattan Beach National avg. Difference
      Ground Beef $6.26$5.847.2%
      Fried Chicken $2.08$1.5732.2%
      Milk $4.76$4.671.9%
      Potatoes $4.94$4.930.2%
      Pizza $16.13$12.0933.5%
      Beer $9.60$10.417.8%

      Health Care

      Item Manhattan Beach National avg. Difference
      Optometrist $129.09$125.682.7%
      Doctor $119.86$135.7811.7%
      Dentist $108.07$113.294.6%
      Ibuprofen $10.36$10.652.7%
      Lipitor $505.41$468.607.9%

      Housing

      Item Manhattan Beach National avg. Difference
      Home Price $2,000,001.00$184,700.00982.8%
      Avg. Mortgage Payment $2,799.02$2,346.6919.3%
      Apartment Rent $2,582.00$949.00172.1%

      Transportation

      Item Manhattan Beach National avg. Difference
      Gasoline $4.47$3.4629.3%
      Tire Balancing $58.33$59.922.6%

      Utilities

      Item Manhattan Beach National avg. Difference
      All Electricity $326.49$193.9968.3%
      Phone $182.78$192.254.9%
      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.
      Westside, CA21311615.6%
      Vernon, CA24811717.0%
      Willowbrook, CA24,40113333.3%
      Rolling Hills CDP, CA83213433.9%
      Compton, CA95,80413636.2%
      Manhattan Beach, CA35,064333232.8%

      Cities with similar population

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      East Point, GA35,031973.2%
      Orangevale, CA35,03013635.6%
      Riviera Beach, FL35,0251088.5%
      Buenaventura Lakes, FL35,1171043.8%
      Post Falls, ID34,97111111.3%
      Manhattan Beach, CA35,064333232.8%
      Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2023 and was released from C2ER in January, 2024; this is the most current data available.