Cost of Living: Petaluma, CA vs Santa Monica, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Petaluma, CA versus $3,974/mo in Santa Monica, CA. In the model, rent is about 34.66% of gross in Petaluma, CA versus 34.06% in Santa Monica, CA, so Santa Monica, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Petaluma, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Santa Monica, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Petaluma, CA
34.66%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Santa Monica, CA
34.06%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Petaluma, CA and Santa Monica, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Santa Monica, CA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Santa Monica, CA
  • Lower home prices: Petaluma, CA
  • Higher median household income: Petaluma, CA

Cost of Living Index

Petaluma, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Santa Monica, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100)

Both cities have the same cost-of-living index (U.S. average = 100).

Median Rent

Petaluma, CA: $2,260/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Santa Monica, CA: $2,221/mo

Median rent in Petaluma, CA is $39/mo higher than in Santa Monica, CA.

Median Home Price

Petaluma, CA: $834,900 · Santa Monica, CA: $1,810,200

Median home price in Santa Monica, CA is $975,300 higher than in Petaluma, CA.

Median Household Income

Petaluma, CA: $109,823 · Santa Monica, CA: $109,739

Petaluma, CA has a higher median household income than Santa Monica, CA by $84.

Petaluma, CA overview · Santa Monica, CA overview · Popular comparisons