There are many different care options for seniors in Monterey Bay. With Monterey Bay being a high-cost-of-living area, the cost of these care options can vary greatly.
Let’s compare home care vs assisted living costs in Monterey Bay, look at the factors for different pricing, and which option is best for you or your loved one.
What is home care?
Home care is non-medical care provided by professional caregivers in the person’s own home. It allows seniors to stay in their homes, age in place, and be as independent as possible.
Home care is extremely customizable to each person’s needs and is available as much or as little as needed, ranging from a few hours here and there to live-in assistance.
Services provided by home care providers include:
- Personal care: Help with their activities of daily living (ADLs), such as eating, moving around, going to the bathroom, bathing, grooming, and getting dressed
- Companionship care: Provide social connection and emotional support.
- Meal preparation: Including planning, shopping, and cooking
- Light housekeeping: Organizing, dusting, vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom, doing dishes, or laundry
- Transportation
- Medication compliance: Reminders and tracking that the person takes the prescribed dose of the correct medicine at the correct time
- Respite care: Taking over caregiving responsibilities temporarily to give their regular caregiver a break and help prevent caregiver burnout
Home care pros
- Customized care to whatever they need
- 1 on 1 care: Let’s caregivers build a personal relationship with the person receiving care, and ensures they are constantly monitored.
- Seniors get to age-in-place. According to AARP, around 77% of seniors want to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. With home care, they can receive the care they need at home to make staying in their homes possible.
- Surroundings and routines stay the same (this can be especially helpful for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia)
What is assisted living?
Assisted living facilities are residential communities where seniors live in their own apartment or private room. They provide meals, housekeeping, planned social activities, supervision, and help with activities of daily living (such as going to the bathroom, bathing, dressing, grooming, and moving around). Depending on the location, they can offer varying levels of transportation services, managing medications, and medical care.
Assisted living vs nursing home
It is important to make the distinction between assisted living facilities and nursing homes. Assisted living facilities offer some medical care, but not the level of care a nursing home provides. According to the National Institute on Aging (NIH), nursing homes provide the highest level of medical care of all the different residential facilities. They offer 24/7 medical care and supervision.
The average nursing home also costs more than twice as much as assisted living facilities.
Assisted living pros
- Socialization with peers
- Live-in care and supervision
Cost of home care vs assisted living
Let’s compare the costs for Monterey Bay, CA:
| Average monthly cost of home care | Average monthly cost of assisted living |
| $8,293 | $10,079 |
This is assuming that someone is receiving 44 hours of home care a week. If they receive less (or get some care from friends and family too), then the price can be significantly lower. If they require more care (especially full-time care), then the price is more expensive.
At 53 hours or fewer a week of care, the average home care cost is less expensive than the average standard assisted living. If they require more than 54 hours a week, then standard assisted living can be less expensive.
Primary factors that determine the cost of care
Now that you know average home care vs assisted living costs in Monterey Bay, let’s look at the factors that can drastically change the cost of care:
- Which agency or facility chosen: Each place has its own prices. We are looking at averages.
- Amount of home care needed: Home care charges by the hour, so the price depends on the level of care required.
- Specialty care at an assisted living facility: While specialty care pricing is the same for home care, it costs extra at an assisted living facility. The facilities that offer memory care (where they have extra safety measures and the caregivers are trained in how to best treat people with Alzheimer’s or dementia) charge around 20% to 30% more than the average cost of assisted living.
- If covered by insurance: Some insurance or Medicare will cover different amounts of home care or some long-term care (it is important to check what your insurance covers).
Is home care or assisted living better for you or your loved one?
To decide if home care or assisted living is better, you need to look at how much care they need and where they want to receive it at. Home care is better for those who prioritize staying in their homes and do not need constant supervision or medical care. Assisted living is better for those who need live-in care and supervision but don’t require extensive medical care.
If the person requires around-the-clock care and extensive medical care, then they may want to look into nursing homes.
Home care is much more customizable, with tons of different services available. Additionally, you only pay for the hours you need care. Many seniors only need a few hours a week to help them. To help reduce costs, family and friend caregivers can supplement with professional home care.
Frequently asked questions:
What is the average monthly cost for assisted living in California?
According to Genworth, in 2026, the average monthly cost for assisted living in California is $7,798.
What is cheaper, home care or assisted living?
If receiving around 53 hours or fewer a week of care, home care is cheaper than assisted living. If needing more professional care than that, assisted living is cheaper.
Hire Pacific Angels Home Care for home care in Monterey Bay
Pacific Angels Home Care offers customized care tailored to the person’s needs. We are available whenever needed.
Our kind caregivers can supervise and help with ADLs (moving around, eating, going to the bathroom, bathing, and grooming). They can offer companionship care, safe transportation, medication compliance, meal prep, housekeeping, and respite care. They are also trained to help people with dementia and Alzheimer’s.
For those in Monterey Bay or the surrounding area, give us a call today at (831) 708-2876 or reach us online to request an in-home consultation!
