Cost of living in Berkeley: rent, homes and salary
In the San Francisco, CA metro area, the 2024 BEA regional price parity (RPP) is 115.6, against 100 for the US, and housing alone comes to 194.7. Cost of living in Berkeley is 15.6% higher than the US average.
- Cost level
- 115.6US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- 194.7 for rents, US = 100.
Index of Berkeley living costs
A regional price parity compares the cost of one identical basket of goods and services in a place against the US average, set at 100. Berkeley lies in the metro area of San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, and BEA prices that whole area as one figure. Housing (rents) is the part that sits furthest from the US average: 194.7, or 94.7% above the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | San Francisco, CA metro | California | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 115.6 | 110.7 | +15.6% |
| Goods | 108.5 | 106.1 | +8.5% |
| Housing (rents) | 194.7 | 154.3 | +94.7% |
| Utilities | 172.6 | 158.9 | +72.6% |
| Other services | 106.2 | 102.6 | +6.2% |
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis (U.S.), regional price parities for metro areas and states, 2024. BEA regional price parities
Berkeley rent
Berkeley's typical asking rent stands at $2,853 a month on the ZORI (Zillow Observed Rent Index) measure. It counts the rent of homes listed now, and it is +3.6% on a year. In the US it is $1,932. Census puts median gross rent at $2,024, a figure that includes every renting household, not only new leases. Twelve months of the asking rent equals 33% of the median household income.
| Rent | Berkeley | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $2,853 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +3.6% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $2,024 | $1,487 |
| Asking rent for a year, share of median income | 33% | 28% |
Sources: the Zillow Observed Rent Index, plus the Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 with its one-year estimates.
Berkeley home prices
In September 2026, the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) put the value of a typical Berkeley home at $1,442,475. It measures what a home in the middle of the market is worth. That amount is +8.0% on a year, compared with $366,157 for the US. That works out to 13.9 years of median household income, while the US figure is 4.5.
| Home prices | Berkeley | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $1,442,475 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | +8.0% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +38.3% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 13.9 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 42.1 | 15.8 |
Days on market, the forecast, and the price chart going back to 2000: Berkeley housing market.
Living in Berkeley: the salary you need
Two questions set the salary in Berkeley, one that buys as much as your pay buys now: what you earn, and where you live.
- Moving out of
- Salary
The method and each city side by side: city cost of living comparison.
Moving to Berkeley? Compare moving quotes on Moving.com, a mover-quote service; we are not paid for this link.
Berkeley cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Cost level | Housing | The typical rent | Value of a typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | 115.6 | 194.7 | $2,853 | $1,442,475 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
| San Diego | 111.9 | 179.3 | $3,004 | $980,490 |
| San Jose | 110.4 | 211.9 | $3,582 | $1,353,869 |
| San Francisco | 115.6 | 194.7 | $4,784 | $1,441,021 |
| Fresno | 102.2 | 95.7 | $1,945 | $384,885 |
| Sacramento | 106.7 | 130.2 | $2,045 | $470,552 |
| Long Beach | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,412 | $852,391 |
| Oakland | 115.6 | 194.7 | $2,758 | $710,647 |
Price levels, US = 100, from BEA regional price parities, 2024. Rent data: Zillow ZORI. Home values: Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
All cities ranked: cost of living by city. Each state: cost of living by state.