Cost of living in Pasadena: rent, homes and salary
The cost of living in Pasadena sits 13.6% above the US average. For the Los Angeles, CA metro area, BEA puts the 2024 regional price parity (RPP) at 113.6, with the US at 100, and housing alone at 170.4.
- Level of prices
- 113.6US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- 170.4 for rents, US = 100.
Cost of living index for Pasadena
A regional price parity compares one place's costs for the same goods and services with the US average, which is set at 100. Pasadena belongs to the metro area named Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, and BEA prices that whole area as one. Housing (rents) sits furthest from the US average, at 170.4, or 70.4% above the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | Los Angeles, CA metro | California | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 113.6 | 110.7 | +13.6% |
| Goods | 106.6 | 106.1 | +6.6% |
| Housing (rents) | 170.4 | 154.3 | +70.4% |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 158.9 | +58.6% |
| Other services | 104.4 | 102.6 | +4.4% |
The 2024 regional price parities for metro areas and states come from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. BEA regional price parities
Rent costs in Pasadena
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) puts the typical asking rent in Pasadena at $3,010 a month, which is +1.4% on a year. ZORI covers rent for homes listed right now. In the US, the figure is $1,932. Census median gross rent counts every renting household, not just new leases, and comes to $2,191. Twelve months of asking rent equals 34% of the median household income.
| Rent | Pasadena | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $3,010 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +1.4% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $2,191 | $1,487 |
| One year of asking rent as a share of median income | 34% | 28% |
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024, single-year estimates; Zillow Observed Rent Index.
Pasadena home prices
In September 2026, the Zillow Home Value Index, or ZHVI, put a typical Pasadena home's value at $1,186,459; it tracks a typical home's value at the middle of the market. The US value is $366,157, while the change over twelve months here is +0.7%. The amount equals 11.3 years of median household income, compared with 4.5 years for the US.
| Home prices | Pasadena | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $1,186,459 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | +0.7% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +78.9% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 11.3 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 32.8 | 15.8 |
Days on market, the forecast, and a price chart going back to 2000: Pasadena housing market.
The salary you need to live in Pasadena
What you earn and where you live are the two questions that set the Pasadena salary matching what your pay buys today.
- Moving away from
- Salary
The method plus every city side by side: city cost of living comparison.
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Cost of living in Pasadena compared with other cities
| City | Level of prices | Housing | Typical rent level | Home value, typical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pasadena | 113.6 | 170.4 | $3,010 | $1,186,459 |
| 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: BEA regional price parities for 2024, with the US set at 100. Rent figures: Zillow ZORI. Home value comes from Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
All cities, ranked: city cost of living comparison. All states: state cost of living comparison.