2025 Compare Cities Overview:
Santa Fe, NM vs Monterey, CA

Change Cities
Highlights
Are people in Monterey older or younger than people in Santa Fe?
- The Median Age in Monterey is 6.6 years younger than in Santa Fe.

Are housing costs cheaper in Monterey or Santa Fe?
- Monterey housing costs are 88.9% more expensive than Santa Fe housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Monterey or Santa Fe?
- The average commute for residents of Monterey is 3.9 minutes shorter than it is for residents of Santa Fe.

Things to do in Santa Fe?
Santa Fe, New Mexico is considered one of America's most unique and beautiful cities that offers stunning views of both the Sangre de Cristo mountains and downtown Plaza.

Things to do in Monterey?
Monterey, CA is an iconic beach city located on the Monterey Peninsula of California's central coast. This picturesque coastal community offers stunning beaches, world-class golf courses, fabulous restaurants and galleries, plus numerous other recreational activities.

 Santa Fe, NMMonterey, CAUnited States
 Population  Unlock30,014329,725,481
 Median Income$61,990  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock37.438.4
 Avg. Home Price$541,100  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock3.8%6.0%
 Avg. Commute Time19.14  Unlock26.38
Reviews for Santa Fe    55 Reviews

I’ve recently moved to Santa Fe from Colorado. I love Santa Fe for various reasons… mostly because of the tricultural aspects of it. We have amazing Native American,  More

   |    Reply

Over 6 years ago

Bought a house here in 2013 and split my time here with other house in Adirondack Mountains of NYS. Santa Fe is great, but not perfect. Love the climate. 306 days of  More

   |    Reply

Over 6 years ago

The only 2 things about Santa Fe that are nice is the scenery and the weather. But, those two things cannot bring about the total comfort and homeyness that makes a city  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Santa Fe

Reviews for Monterey    21 Reviews

Over 8 years ago

The Monterey city area is an excellent place to live and one of the few California locales where it's relatively safe to raise a family. If I could no longer live here I  More

   |    Reply

I grew up on the Monterey Peninsula and had to leave to climb out of poverty. The median income is $35,000 and outside of the military, the jobs are mostly service  More

   |    Reply

My husband and I are just crazy about Monterey. I wonder if we take housing expenses (mortgage or rent) out of the picture, is Monterey still a very expensive city to  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Monterey


Premium Subscription
Includes Cost of Living compares for child care, utilities, transportation, health, taxes, housing for home owners vs renters, weather, insurance premiums and so much more.


The premier source for comprehensive city data for over 30 years.

© Best Places. All rights reserved.