Santa Barbara, CA Cost Of Living
Cost Of Living In Santa Barbara, CA Summary
Cost of living in Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara is 223, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Santa Barbara is 2.2x higher than the national average.
Santa Barbara ranks as the #564 cheapest in California out of 634.
Santa Barbara ranks as the #6,389 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Santa Barbara is $1,781,413.
The median income in Santa Barbara is $101,672.
Table Of Contents
Santa Barbara's Overall Cost Of Living
Higher Than The National Average
What is the cost of living in Santa Barbara, CA?
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Santa Barbara has an overall cost of living index of 223, which is 2.2x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Santa Barbara has a cost of living index that's 1.6x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Santa Barbara ranks as #564 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Santa Barbara ranks as the #70 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Santa Barbara, check out:
In California
In America
Santa Barbara Cost Of Living Vs. California
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Santa Barbara. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Santa Barbara is 107.
The Groceries index in Santa Barbara is 107.
The Health index in Santa Barbara is 94.
The Housing index in Santa Barbara is 471.
The Transportation index in Santa Barbara is 126.
The Utilities index in Santa Barbara is 157.
| Living Expense | Santa Barbara | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 223 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 107 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 107 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 94 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 471 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 126 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 157 | 128 | 100 | |
Santa Barbara, CA Housing Cost Breakdown
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 Santa Barbara is $1,781,413.
The Median Rent in Santa Barbara is $2,302.
The Median Income in Santa Barbara is $101,672.
The Home Value To Income in Santa Barbara is 17.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Santa Barbara is 0.27x.
| Statistic | Santa Barbara | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,781,413 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,302 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $101,672 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 17.5x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.27x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Income
Santa Barbara, CA Costs By Category
Detailed Santa Barbara Services Costs Vs. California
| Item | Santa Barbara | 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 |
Detailed Santa Barbara Groceries Costs Vs. California
| Item | Santa Barbara | 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 |
Detailed Santa Barbara Health Costs Vs. California
| Item | Santa Barbara | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $142.2 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $131.33 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $131.5 | $113.29 |
Detailed Santa Barbara Transportation Costs Vs. California
| Item | Santa Barbara | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.62 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $61.0 | $59.92 |
Detailed Santa Barbara Utilities Costs Vs. California
| Item | Santa Barbara | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $231.4 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $193.81 | $192.25 |
Santa Barbara SnackAbility
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Cost Of Living In Cities Around Santa Barbara
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Santa Barbara. 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, 0.7x Santa Barbara.
Thousand Oaks, CA has a cost of living index of 185, 0.8x Santa Barbara.
Camarillo, CA has a cost of living index of 170, 0.8x Santa Barbara.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Santa Barbara |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxnard, CA | 201,014 | 152 | 0.7x |
| Thousand Oaks, CA | 125,676 | 185 | 0.8x |
| Camarillo, CA | 70,244 | 170 | 0.8x |
| Moorpark, CA | 35,957 | 174 | 0.8x |
| Goleta, CA | 32,693 | 192 | 0.9x |
| Fillmore, CA | 16,665 | 143 | 0.6x |
| Isla Vista, CA | 13,717 | 135 | 0.6x |
| Carpinteria, CA | 13,100 | 182 | 0.8x |
| Montecito, CA | 8,823 | 331 | 1.5x |
| Mira Monte, CA | 7,301 | 167 | 0.7x |
