Cost of Living: San Diego, CA vs Santa Barbara, CA
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in San Diego, CA versus $3,974/mo in Santa Barbara, CA. In the model, rent is about 32.4% of gross in San Diego, CA versus 33.55% in Santa Barbara, CA, so San Diego, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between San Diego, CA and Santa Barbara, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Santa Barbara, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): San Diego, CA
- Lower home prices: San Diego, CA
- Higher median household income: San Diego, CA
Cost of Living Index
San Diego, CA: 142.3 (U.S. = 100) · Santa Barbara, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100)
Santa Barbara, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than San Diego, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
San Diego, CA: $2,112/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Santa Barbara, CA: $2,187/mo
Median rent in Santa Barbara, CA is $75/mo higher than in San Diego, CA.
Median Home Price
San Diego, CA: $848,500 · Santa Barbara, CA: $1,466,400
Median home price in Santa Barbara, CA is $617,900 higher than in San Diego, CA.
Median Household Income
San Diego, CA: $104,321 · Santa Barbara, CA: $101,672
San Diego, CA has a higher median household income than Santa Barbara, CA by $2,649.
San Diego, CA overview · Santa Barbara, CA overview · Popular comparisons