Cost of Living: Santa Maria, 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 Maria, CA versus $4,370/mo in Phoenix, AZ. In the model, rent is about 26.85% of gross in Santa Maria, 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 Maria, CA and Phoenix, AZ.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Santa Maria, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Phoenix, AZ
- Lower home prices: Phoenix, AZ
- Higher median household income: Santa Maria, CA
Cost of Living Index
Santa Maria, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Phoenix, AZ: 102.4 (U.S. = 100)
Santa Maria, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than Phoenix, AZ, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Santa Maria, CA: $1,750/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Phoenix, AZ: $1,385/mo
Median rent in Santa Maria, CA is $365/mo higher than in Phoenix, AZ.
Median Home Price
Santa Maria, CA: $478,200 · Phoenix, AZ: $381,900
Median home price in Santa Maria, CA is $96,300 higher than in Phoenix, AZ.
Median Household Income
Santa Maria, CA: $84,617 · Phoenix, AZ: $77,041
Santa Maria, CA has a higher median household income than Phoenix, AZ by $7,576.
Santa Maria, CA overview · Phoenix, AZ overview · Popular comparisons