2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Santa Maria, CA vs Lake Forest, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Lake Forest or is it cheaper to live in Santa Maria?
- Lake Forest is 6.6% more expensive than Santa Maria.

Which city has more affordable housing, Lake Forest or Santa Maria?
- Lake Forest housing costs are 78.4% more expensive than Santa Maria housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Santa Maria or is Health Care more affordable in Lake Forest.
- Health related expenses are 17.5% less in Lake Forest.
 Santa Maria, CALake Forest, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock164.9100
 Food & Groceries102.6  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock93.4100
 Housing168.2  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$937,500$338,100
 Utilities92  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock111.6100
 Miscellaneous142.5  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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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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Reviews for Lake Forest    16 Reviews

I've lived in Lake Forest for over a decade, before that elsewhere in OC and also up in LA. Lake Forest isn't perfect but it's really improved over the past decade,  More

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As a retired senior who has lived in Lake Forest (formerly El Toro) since 1977 I think LF is a great place if you can afford it. When we moved here in June '77 homes  More

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I’ve lived here for 2 years. Ok, it’s more like a 4 but there are so many idiots downplaying what it’s like here and giving Lake Forest ones and twos. There are a lot of  More

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