2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Santa Cruz, CA vs Brookings, OR

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Brookings or is it cheaper to live in Santa Cruz?
- Brookings is 46.5% less expensive than Santa Cruz.

Which city has more affordable housing, Brookings or Santa Cruz?
- Brookings housing costs are 66.6% less expensive than Santa Cruz housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Santa Cruz or is Health Care more affordable in Brookings.
- Health related expenses are 7.9% less in Brookings.
 Santa Cruz, CABrookings, ORUnited States
 Overall  Unlock99.6100
 Food & Groceries111.5  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock100.6100
 Housing420.7  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$446,100$338,100
 Utilities94  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock71.0100
 Miscellaneous155.7  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Santa Cruz    44 Reviews

I lived in the Santa Cruz area for 20 years. UCSC alum. Our kids were born there. There are wonderful things about Santa Cruz, but also many serious problems that we  More

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Over 5 years ago

I have been here for four generations! My kids are the fifth. I guess that should tell you how wonderful it is here, at least for us. It's so cool to have world class  More

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I was born over the hill in San Jose area, and as a kid I loved coming over to the boardwalk. Santa Cruz has always been and always will be a town of diversity,  More

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Reviews for Brookings    29 Reviews

Over 3 years ago

Brookings Oregon is one of the most beautiful places in the world and has perfect weather. I searched for a retirement home, on the beach, for nearly ten years before  More

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Over 4 years ago

Brookings is an interesting place, very nice scenery, and excellent weather. The "locals" who inhabit this place are some of the most ignorant biased people you will  More

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Retired and moved here with my husband in 2020. Best decision we ever made. Amazing weather...even the rainy days are punctuated by crisp, sunny days in the winter. Not  More

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