Santa Barbara, CA Cost of Living


51 Reviews



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Santa Barbara cost of living score
154.7
More expensive
54.7% higher
than the US average
3.2% higher
than the California average
Santa Barbara, California gets a BestPlaces Cost of Living score of 154.7, which means the total cost of housing, food, childcare, transportation, healthcare, taxes, and other necessities is 54.7% higher than the U.S. average and 3.2% lower than the average for California.

Santa Barbara, CA

Housing costs in Santa Barbara?
A typical home costs $1,525,500, which is 351.2% more expensive than the national average of $338,100 and 108.0% more expensive than the average California home, at $733,500. Renting a two-bedroom unit in Santa Barbara costs $3,280 per month, which is 129.4% more than the national average of $1,430 and 34.5% more than the state average of $2,150.

Can I afford Santa Barbara?
To live comfortably in Santa Barbara, California, a minimum annual income of $292,320 for a family, and $116,000 for a single person is recommended.

What does A.I. say about Santa Barbara?
Santa Barbara gives residents a rare chance at great value for costlier living situated somewhere inside California’s Santa Barbara County boasting plenty of features without too heavily impacting pocketbooks. Median housing values come in around the high-$500s and renting usually lands near by approximately half that amount as standard - significantly pricier compared to coastal places like Isla Vista or Goleta located far deeper down south. Grocery stores equally hover just below US figures due largely to local taxes & regulations while sales tax amounts out unaltered at 8%.
   Cost of living score
     CategoriesSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUnited States
  154.7149.9100.0
  113.8105.1100
  113.298.3100.0
  476.7234.8100.0
  $1,525,500$733,500$338,100
  90.2%102.4%100.0%
  97.0133.1100.0
  142.5118.7100.0

   100=National Average

   Average Rent by Bedroom Size
Reviews for Santa Barbara
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I moved to Santa Barbara around 23 years ago to study at Brooks, which like most of the Santa Barbara that I knew—has been destroyed. Homelessness, drugs, gangs, high  More

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Over 3 years ago

I fell in love with Santa Barbara about thirty years ago and finally moved here a few years ago. Because of the price of homes, it is an expensive place to live. The  More

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If you like high crime, paying a $4,500 a month mortgage and crazy high taxes, this is the place for you. It’s too bad because it wasn’t always like this. When I moved  More

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