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 | Philadelphia | Santa Barbara | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $2,209/mo | 43.4% lower in A |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $1,346,800 | 84.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $98,346 | 41.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.9 | 104.1 | 5.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 91.5 | 125.1 | 26.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 88.3 | 104.6 | 15.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 98.8 | 104.1 | 5.1% 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 Philadelphia, you'd need $176,719 in Santa Barbara to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 43.4% cheaper overall than Santa Barbara, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 43% lower in Philadelphia than in Santa Barbara. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $141,376 in Santa Barbara to keep the same standard of living.