Cost of Living: Santa Barbara, CA vs Phoenix, AZ
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Santa Barbara, CA versus $4,370/mo in Phoenix, AZ. In the model, rent is about 33.55% of gross in Santa Barbara, CA versus 21.24% in Phoenix, AZ, so Phoenix, AZ tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Santa Barbara, CA and Phoenix, AZ.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Santa Barbara, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Phoenix, AZ
- Lower home prices: Phoenix, AZ
- Higher median household income: Santa Barbara, CA
Cost of Living Index
Santa Barbara, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Phoenix, AZ: 102.4 (U.S. = 100)
Santa Barbara, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than Phoenix, AZ, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Santa Barbara, CA: $2,187/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Phoenix, AZ: $1,385/mo
Median rent in Santa Barbara, CA is $802/mo higher than in Phoenix, AZ.
Median Home Price
Santa Barbara, CA: $1,466,400 · Phoenix, AZ: $381,900
Median home price in Santa Barbara, CA is $1,084,500 higher than in Phoenix, AZ.
Median Household Income
Santa Barbara, CA: $101,672 · Phoenix, AZ: $77,041
Santa Barbara, CA has a higher median household income than Phoenix, AZ by $24,631.
Santa Barbara, CA overview · Phoenix, AZ overview · Popular comparisons