Cost of living in Isla Vista research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Isla Vista is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Isla Vista is 135, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Isla Vista is 1.4x higher than the national average.
Isla Vista ranks as the #214 cheapest in California out of 634.
Isla Vista ranks as the #5,216 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Isla Vista is $1,477,813.
The median income in Isla Vista is $24,428.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Isla Vista has an overall cost of living index of 135, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Isla Vista has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Isla Vista ranks as #214 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Isla Vista ranks as the #420 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Isla Vista, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Isla Vista. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Isla Vista is 106.
The Groceries index in Isla Vista is 107.
The Health index in Isla Vista is 94.
The Housing index in Isla Vista is 174.
The Transportation index in Isla Vista is 125.
The Utilities index in Isla Vista is 157.
| Living Expense | Isla Vista | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 135 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 106 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 107 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 94 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 174 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 125 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 157 | 128 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Isla Vista is $1,477,813.
The Median Rent in Isla Vista is $1,856.
The Median Income in Isla Vista is $24,428.
The Home Value To Income in Isla Vista is 60.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Isla Vista is 0.91x.
| Statistic | Isla Vista | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,477,813 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,856 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $24,428 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 60.5x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.91x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Isla Vista | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.48 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $18.12 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $22.67 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.25 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $89.33 | $45.56 |
| Item | Isla Vista | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.77 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.63 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.91 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.9 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $13.49 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.13 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.75 | $3.7 |
| Item | Isla Vista | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $142.2 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $131.33 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $131.5 | $113.29 |
| Item | Isla Vista | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.62 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $61.0 | $59.92 |
| Item | Isla Vista | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $231.4 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $193.81 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Isla Vista. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Oxnard, CA has a cost of living index of 152, 1.1x Isla Vista.
Santa Maria, CA has a cost of living index of 136, 1.0x Isla Vista.
Santa Barbara, CA has a cost of living index of 223, 1.7x Isla Vista.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Isla Vista |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxnard, CA | 201,014 | 152 | 1.1x |
| Santa Maria, CA | 109,880 | 136 | 1.0x |
| Santa Barbara, CA | 88,024 | 223 | 1.7x |
| Camarillo, CA | 70,244 | 170 | 1.3x |
| Goleta, CA | 32,693 | 192 | 1.4x |
| Orcutt, CA | 31,284 | 149 | 1.1x |
| Port Hueneme, CA | 21,691 | 147 | 1.1x |
| Carpinteria, CA | 13,100 | 182 | 1.3x |
| Montecito, CA | 8,823 | 331 | 2.5x |
| Mira Monte, CA | 7,301 | 167 | 1.2x |