Cost of Living: Santa Maria, CA vs South Portland, ME

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 $4,137/mo in South Portland, ME. In the model, rent is about 26.85% of gross in Santa Maria, CA versus 24.02% in South Portland, ME, so South Portland, ME tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Santa Maria, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in South Portland, ME
$4,137/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Santa Maria, CA
26.85%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in South Portland, ME
24.02%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Santa Maria, CA and South Portland, ME.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): South Portland, ME
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): South Portland, ME
  • Lower home prices: South Portland, ME
  • Higher median household income: Santa Maria, CA

Cost of Living Index

Santa Maria, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · South Portland, ME: 100 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Santa Maria, CA: $1,750/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · South Portland, ME: $1,566/mo

Median rent in Santa Maria, CA is $184/mo higher than in South Portland, ME.

Median Home Price

Santa Maria, CA: $478,200 · South Portland, ME: $405,800

Median home price in Santa Maria, CA is $72,400 higher than in South Portland, ME.

Median Household Income

Santa Maria, CA: $84,617 · South Portland, ME: $84,563

Santa Maria, CA has a higher median household income than South Portland, ME by $54.

Santa Maria, CA overview · South Portland, ME overview · Popular comparisons