Last updated 2026-07-10 ยท MovePlan Editorial Team
Above the national average, with housing doing most of the work.
Cost of living index (US avg = 100): 136
Median 2BR rent: $2,900/mo
Housing: 181 vs 100
Groceries: 109 vs 100
Utilities: 96 vs 100
Transportation: 115 vs 100
Healthcare: 103 vs 100
Pasadena offers a temperate Pacific climate and a higher-cost place to land in California. Housing is the line item that moves your budget most, anchored here to a real median 2BR rent of about $2,900/mo.