City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Austin | Santa Barbara | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $2,209/mo | 29.9% lower in A |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $1,346,800 | 65.7% lower in A |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $98,346 | 12.0% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.2 | 111.4 | 6.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 102.6 | 136.9 | 25.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 91.7 | 119.7 | 23.4% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 110.4 | 124.3 | 11.2% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Austin, you'd need $130,899 in Santa Barbara to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Austin, TX is about 23.6% cheaper overall than Santa Barbara, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 30% lower in Austin than in Santa Barbara. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $104,719 in Santa Barbara to keep the same standard of living.