| | Santa Cruz, CA | Carlsbad, CA | United States |
| Overall | 186.0 | 154.9 | 100 |
| Food & Groceries | 111.5 | 113.5 | 100 |
| Health | 109.2 | 89.0 | 100 |
| Housing | 420.7 | 391.6 | 100 |
| Median Home Cost | $1,270,800 | $1,320,200 | $338,100 |
| Utilities | 9,350.0% | 9,740.0% | 10,000.0% |
| Transportation | 110.5 | 125.6 | 100 |
| Miscellaneous | 155.7 | 154.1 | 100 |
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
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
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
Start Your Review of Santa Cruz
Reviews for Carlsbad 
38 Reviews
I've lived in Carlsbad (92008) for 8 years now and really appreciate all that it has to offer. Yes, ALL of San Diego County is expensive, but Carlsbad has [possibly] More
Carlson has the worst winters. It averages about 10 meters of snow per week. Every shop is More
Ok, I get it, the climate is mild and tolerable but even that is over-rated when you consider how many cloudy days there are in this town. The sun coming out at 3 and More
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