Cost of Living: Santa Cruz, CA vs Hastings, NE

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Santa Cruz, CA versus $4,175/mo in Hastings, NE. In the model, rent is about 33.55% of gross in Santa Cruz, CA versus 12.5% in Hastings, NE, so Hastings, NE tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Santa Cruz, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Hastings, NE
$4,175/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Santa Cruz, CA
33.55%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Hastings, NE
12.5%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Santa Cruz, CA and Hastings, NE.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Santa Cruz, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Hastings, NE: 100 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Santa Cruz, CA: $2,187/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Hastings, NE: $815/mo

Median rent in Santa Cruz, CA is $1,372/mo higher than in Hastings, NE.

Median Home Price

Santa Cruz, CA: $1,180,100 · Hastings, NE: $177,200

Median home price in Santa Cruz, CA is $1,002,900 higher than in Hastings, NE.

Median Household Income

Santa Cruz, CA: $111,427 · Hastings, NE: $61,202

Santa Cruz, CA has a higher median household income than Hastings, NE by $50,225.

Santa Cruz, CA overview · Hastings, NE overview · Popular comparisons