Cost of Living: Santa Barbara, CA vs San Diego, CA
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 $3,974/mo in San Diego, CA. In the model, rent is about 33.55% of gross in Santa Barbara, CA versus 32.4% in San Diego, CA, so San Diego, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Santa Barbara, CA and San Diego, 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
Santa Barbara, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · San Diego, CA: 142.3 (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
Santa Barbara, CA: $2,187/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · San Diego, CA: $2,112/mo
Median rent in Santa Barbara, CA is $75/mo higher than in San Diego, CA.
Median Home Price
Santa Barbara, CA: $1,466,400 · San Diego, CA: $848,500
Median home price in Santa Barbara, CA is $617,900 higher than in San Diego, CA.
Median Household Income
Santa Barbara, CA: $101,672 · San Diego, CA: $104,321
San Diego, CA has a higher median household income than Santa Barbara, CA by $2,649.
Santa Barbara, CA overview · San Diego, CA overview · Popular comparisons