Cost of Living Comparison Between San Diego, CA and Santa Barbara, CA 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Santa Barbara, CA is 0.6% higher than in San Diego, CA (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Santa Barbara, CA is 1.9% higher than in San Diego, CA | |
| Rent Prices in Santa Barbara, CA are 3.6% higher than in San Diego, CA | |
| Restaurant Prices in Santa Barbara, CA are 3.9% higher than in San Diego, CA | |
| Groceries Prices in Santa Barbara, CA are 14.0% higher than in San Diego, CA | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Santa Barbara, CA is 2.4% lower than in San Diego, CA | |
Restaurants | San Diego, CA Edit |
Santa Barbara, CA Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 21.50 $ | 25.00 $ | +16.3 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 85.00 $ | 85.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 12.00 $ | 12.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 8.00 $ | 7.00 $ | -12.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.50 $ | 7.00 $ | -17.6 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.51 $ | 5.20 $ | -5.6 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.83 $ | 2.88 $ | +1.5 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.53 $ | 2.00 $ | -20.8 % |
Markets | San Diego, CA Edit |
Santa Barbara, CA Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.54 $ | 4.34 $ | -4.4 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.67 $ | 3.50 $ | -4.6 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.02 $ | 4.00 $ | +98.1 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 4.19 $ | 5.50 $ | +31.1 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.33 $ | 9.00 $ | +42.2 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.63 $ | 5.70 $ | -14.0 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 8.64 $ | 5.66 $ | -34.4 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.13 $ | 2.82 $ | +32.8 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.81 $ | 1.30 $ | +59.8 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.50 $ | 2.31 $ | +54.3 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.06 $ | 2.19 $ | +6.4 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.49 $ | 3.10 $ | +107.4 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.00 $ | 1.67 $ | +67.2 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.05 $ | 1.25 $ | -39.1 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.38 $ | 3.33 $ | +39.9 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | 9.00 $ | -40.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 1.99 $ | 1.73 $ | -12.9 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.00 $ | 3.50 $ | +16.7 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 10.53 $ | 11.00 $ | +4.5 % |
Transportation | San Diego, CA Edit |
Santa Barbara, CA Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.50 $ | 1.75 $ | -30.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 72.00 $ | 64.00 $ | -11.1 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 10.00 $ | 5.97 $ | -40.3 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 2.75 $ | 7.00 $ | +154.5 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 65.00 $ | 51.00 $ | -21.5 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 5.14 $ | 4.81 $ | -6.5 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 30,000.00 $ | 48,376.95 $ | +61.3 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 26,461.48 $ | 25,099.32 $ | -5.1 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | San Diego, CA Edit |
Santa Barbara, CA Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 325.12 $ | 170.08 $ | -47.7 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 71.07 $ | 59.57 $ | -16.2 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 73.26 $ | 89.12 $ | +21.6 % |
Sports And Leisure | San Diego, CA Edit |
Santa Barbara, CA Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 89.62 $ | 66.50 $ | -25.8 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 26.67 $ | 18.25 $ | -31.6 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 18.00 $ | 13.50 $ | -25.0 % |
Childcare | San Diego, CA Edit |
Santa Barbara, CA Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 1,713.33 $ | 1,425.00 $ | -16.8 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 18,333.33 $ | ? | |
Clothing And Shoes | San Diego, CA Edit |
Santa Barbara, CA Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 55.93 $ | 46.67 $ | -16.6 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 54.11 $ | 46.33 $ | -14.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 88.05 $ | 74.00 $ | -16.0 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 119.17 $ | 85.00 $ | -28.7 % |
Rent Per Month | San Diego, CA Edit |
Santa Barbara, CA Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,790.52 $ | 2,633.75 $ | -5.6 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,374.39 $ | 2,200.00 $ | -7.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,726.47 $ | 5,416.67 $ | +14.6 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 4,200.00 $ | 4,350.00 $ | +3.6 % |
Buy Apartment Price | San Diego, CA Edit |
Santa Barbara, CA Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 769.03 $ | 702.67 $ | -8.6 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 604.25 $ | 667.46 $ | +10.5 % |
Salaries And Financing | San Diego, CA Edit |
Santa Barbara, CA Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,802.96 $ | 5,772.67 $ | -0.5 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.59 | 6.60 | +0.1 % |
| Last update: | May 2024 | May 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 150 | 19 |
Moving to San Diego, CA? Explore:
Moving to Santa Barbara, CA? Explore:
Cities near San Diego, CA: | Cost of Living in Irvine, California | 84.59 miles |
| Cost of Living in Santa Ana, California | 89.45 miles |
| Cost of Living in Westminster, California | 94.67 miles |
| Cost of Living in Huntington Beach, California | 95.47 miles |
| Cost of Living in Anaheim, California | 96.10 miles |
| Cost of Living in Riverside, California | 101.37 miles |
| Cost of Living in Long Beach, California | 105.35 miles |
| Cost of Living in San Bernardino, California | 106.85 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fontana, California | 108.10 miles |
| Cost of Living in Imperial, California | 116.71 miles |
Cities near Santa Barbara, CA: | Cost of Living in Ojai, California | 33.39 miles |
| Cost of Living in Ventura, California | 33.57 miles |
| Cost of Living in Oxnard, California | 37.71 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lompoc, California | 54.19 miles |
| Cost of Living in Thousand Oaks, California | 56.27 miles |
| Cost of Living in Agoura Hills, California | 61.38 miles |
| Cost of Living in Simi Valley, California | 63.66 miles |
| Cost of Living in Santa Maria, California | 63.75 miles |
| Cost of Living in Santa Clarita, California | 80.79 miles |
| Cost of Living in Pacific Palisades, California | 85.14 miles |