2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Elko, NV vs Santa Cruz, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Santa Cruz or is it cheaper to live in Elko?
- Santa Cruz is 84.3% more expensive than Elko.

Which city has more affordable housing, Santa Cruz or Elko?
- Santa Cruz housing costs are 303.0% more expensive than Elko housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Elko or is Health Care more affordable in Santa Cruz.
- Health related expenses are 12.2% less in Santa Cruz.
 Elko, NVSanta Cruz, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock186.0100
 Food & Groceries92.2  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock109.2100
 Housing104.4  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$1,270,800$338,100
 Utilities93  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock110.5100
 Miscellaneous88.2  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Elko    4 Reviews

Elko is like all small Nevada towns - limited in many things and the only change as far as the eye can see are over priced housing starts, drugs and crime. I really like  More

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Over 16 years ago

Spent my teen years in Elko & my parents still live there. It is extremely isolated. Life revolves around the mining industry. The old ranching families that live  More

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Over 17 years ago

Elko has an economy that is fairly typical of mining areas, that is, boom and bust. I've lived here for about 16 or so years. It's boomed tremendously twice and busted  More

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Reviews for Santa Cruz    44 Reviews

I lived in the Santa Cruz area for 20 years. UCSC alum. Our kids were born there. There are wonderful things about Santa Cruz, but also many serious problems that we  More

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Over 5 years ago

I have been here for four generations! My kids are the fifth. I guess that should tell you how wonderful it is here, at least for us. It's so cool to have world class  More

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I was born over the hill in San Jose area, and as a kid I loved coming over to the boardwalk. Santa Cruz has always been and always will be a town of diversity,  More

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