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2023 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Santa Barbara, CA vs San Diego, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in San Diego or is it cheaper to live in Santa Barbara?
- San Diego is 26.4% less expensive than Santa Barbara.

Which city has more affordable housing, San Diego or Santa Barbara?
- San Diego housing costs are 41.6% less expensive than Santa Barbara housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Santa Barbara or is Health Care more affordable in San Diego.
- Health related expenses are 21.4% less in San Diego.
 Santa Barbara, CASan Diego, CAUnited States
 Overall217.9160.4100
 Food & Groceries113.8109.7100
 Health113.289.0100
 Housing476.7278.4100
 Median Home Cost$1,525,500$833,500$338,100
 Utilities90.2102.8100
 Transportation97.0120.2100
 Miscellaneous142.5153.9100

100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Santa Barbara    51 Reviews
ONCE BEAUTIFUL, NOW RUINED - 10/19/2021
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... Read More

Start Your Review of Santa Barbara


Beautiful and friendly - 3/24/2021
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... Read More

A once great town goes downhill - 3/13/2021
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... Read More

Reviews for San Diego    318 Reviews
America's finest city? If not, pretty darn close. - 7/10/2022
The only real knock again San Diego is the cost of living, but it is paradise compared to most cities of similar size. Those who complain about the traffic here or say... Read More

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Beautiful Place, Too Crowded and Expensive. - 7/1/2022
I have lived in San Diego since 1968 and I am now almost 62 years old. I love San Diego, I really do. But it has become so crowded and so expensive over the years. It... Read More

Good but unlivable - 12/27/2021
Visited San Diego a few times and loved everything about it. Everything I hate about LA is absent in San Diego. The traffic, the 60k homeless population, the... Read More

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ZIPS IN SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
93101 93105 93103 93110 93109
ZIPS IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
92154, 92126, 92105, 92114, 92115, 92113, 92117, 92129, 92130, 92128, 38 total

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