Cost of living in El Cajon, California
Simple answer
Typical rent is $1,856 a month.
El Cajon is a city in California. That rent number includes utilities. A typical household earns $67,511 a year.
- People
- 104,449
- Census average, 2020–2024
- Typical rent
- $1,856
- Median gross rent, includes utilities
- Typical pay
- $67,511
- Median household income, yearly
- Typical home
- $681,700
- Median home value
- 2-bedroom fair rent
- $2,823
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA
El Cajon, California has about 104,449 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.
A typical home is worth about $681,700.
HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in San Diego County is $2,823 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in El Cajon. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.
In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, prices sit at 111.9 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.
California taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 9.0% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not El Cajon's exact store tax.
In July 2026, a typical California home paid 33.61¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not El Cajon's bill.
In 2025, all-grades gas in California averaged $4.53 a gallon. EIA prints this yearly price for only some states.
Among 982 places we list in California with a rent figure, 493 have higher typical rent than El Cajon.
Nearby places
- Bostonia
Typical rent $2,087
Compare with El Cajon - Casa de Oro-Mount Helix
Typical rent $1,973
Compare with El Cajon - Winter Gardens
Typical rent $1,913
Compare with El Cajon - Granite Hills
Typical rent $1,959
Compare with El Cajon - Rancho San Diego
Typical rent $2,618
Compare with El Cajon - Santee
Typical rent $2,250
Compare with El Cajon - La Mesa
Typical rent $2,049
Compare with El Cajon - Lakeside
Typical rent $2,016
EBT nearby
USDA has a live map of stores that take SNAP. We did not copy that store list here. The downloadable file is a history file for 2005 through 2025, so the live map is the one to use.
Locator page updated 2026-09-11. Last checked 2026-10-16.
Food stamps (SNAP) tools in California
Bigger places in California
Census 2020-2024. HUD rents for October 2026–September 2027. BEA prices for 2024. Taxes as of January 1, 2026. Checked 2026-10-16. 15,000 places are in this guide.