2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Elko, NV vs Santa Maria, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Santa Maria or is it cheaper to live in Elko?
- Santa Maria is 53.3% more expensive than Elko.

Which city has more affordable housing, Santa Maria or Elko?
- Santa Maria housing costs are 61.1% more expensive than Elko housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Elko or is Health Care more affordable in Santa Maria.
- Health related expenses are 9.0% less in Santa Maria.
 Elko, NVSanta Maria, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock154.7100
 Food & Groceries92.2  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock113.2100
 Housing104.4  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$565,100$338,100
 Utilities93  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock95.2100
 Miscellaneous88.2  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Elko    4 Reviews

Elko is like all small Nevada towns - limited in many things and the only change as far as the eye can see are over priced housing starts, drugs and crime. I really like  More

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Over 16 years ago

Spent my teen years in Elko & my parents still live there. It is extremely isolated. Life revolves around the mining industry. The old ranching families that live  More

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Over 17 years ago

Elko has an economy that is fairly typical of mining areas, that is, boom and bust. I've lived here for about 16 or so years. It's boomed tremendously twice and busted  More

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Reviews for Santa Maria    12 Reviews

Over 6 years ago

I live in Orcutt which is a town of around 35,000 on the south side of Santa Maria. Santa Maria has, as everyone has noted, the best climate in the world. It never  More

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I have lived in Santa Maria / Orcutt for several years, but it is time to leave. I have no issues with the weather. Our climate is mild and comfortable with no extremes.  More

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The weather is very mild without a huge temperature change with the seasons. The winters are chilly but not cold and the summers are warm but not hot. Of course there  More

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