2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Big Bear Lake, CA vs Santa Monica, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Santa Monica or is it cheaper to live in Big Bear Lake?
- Santa Monica is 36.3% more expensive than Big Bear Lake.

Which city has more affordable housing, Santa Monica or Big Bear Lake?
- Santa Monica housing costs are 309.2% more expensive than Big Bear Lake housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Big Bear Lake or is Health Care more affordable in Santa Monica.
- Health related expenses are 2.4% more in Santa Monica.
 Big Bear Lake, CASanta Monica, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock161.7100
 Food & Groceries99.7  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock90.2100
 Housing152.0  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$1,656,900$338,100
 Utilities107  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock154.8100
 Miscellaneous110.8  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Big Bear Lake    5 Reviews

Over 13 years ago

We moved to Big Bear Lake a couple of years ago from Los Angeles because of my husband's job. It is a somewhat pretty city, the lake is mirky and surrounded by trash,  More

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Over 15 years ago

Big Bear Lake, a beautiful setting in a remote mountain community in Southern California. A draw to tourists from the Los Angeles area for skiing, boating, and mountain  More

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In the San Bernardino mountains of Southern California, this little town has almost everything you would want to see and do. In the spring and summer the lake is filled  More

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Reviews for Santa Monica    24 Reviews

I moved here to Santa Monica over 10 years ago from Oklahoma City. I was surprised to see that Oklahoma City was ranked higher than Santa Monica on best places. I  More

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I've lived in Santa Monica for over 30 years. It's a Mediterranean climate--sunny and temperate when the rest of the country is under snow! I am walking distance to  More

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I have lived in this city for 4 decades, and it is never been worse than it is now. It is a dangerous disgusting hell hole. Between the crime, the homeless that are not  More

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