Cost of Living: San Francisco, 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 Francisco, CA versus $3,974/mo in Santa Barbara, CA. In the model, rent is about 35.25% of gross in San Francisco, CA versus 33.55% in Santa Barbara, CA, so Santa Barbara, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between San Francisco, CA and Santa Barbara, CA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Santa Barbara, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Santa Barbara, CA
- Lower home prices: San Francisco, CA
- Higher median household income: San Francisco, CA
Cost of Living Index
San Francisco, CA: 225.8 (U.S. = 100) · Santa Barbara, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100)
Santa Barbara, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than San Francisco, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
San Francisco, CA: $2,298/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Santa Barbara, CA: $2,187/mo
Median rent in San Francisco, CA is $111/mo higher than in Santa Barbara, CA.
Median Home Price
San Francisco, CA: $1,380,500 · Santa Barbara, CA: $1,466,400
Median home price in Santa Barbara, CA is $85,900 higher than in San Francisco, CA.
Median Household Income
San Francisco, CA: $141,446 · Santa Barbara, CA: $101,672
San Francisco, CA has a higher median household income than Santa Barbara, CA by $39,774.
San Francisco, CA overview · Santa Barbara, CA overview · Popular comparisons