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 | San Antonio | Santa Barbara | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,189/mo | $2,209/mo | 46.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $198,000 | $1,346,800 | 85.3% lower in A |
| Median household income | $59,593 | $98,346 | 39.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 99.9 | 111.4 | 10.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 97.1 | 136.9 | 29.1% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 84.4 | 119.7 | 29.4% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.0 | 124.3 | 20.4% 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 San Antonio, you'd need $153,205 in Santa Barbara to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Antonio, TX is about 34.7% cheaper overall than Santa Barbara, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 46% lower in San Antonio than in Santa Barbara. If you earn $80,000 in San Antonio, you'd need about $122,564 in Santa Barbara to keep the same standard of living.