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 Diego | Santa Maria | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,080/mo | $1,768/mo | 17.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $783,300 | $438,100 | 78.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $98,657 | $81,237 | 21.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 110.2 | 107.3 | 2.7% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 135.0 | 130.3 | 3.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 117.2 | 111.2 | 5.4% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 121.0 | 112.8 | 7.2% higher 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 Diego, you'd need $90,227 in Santa Maria to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Santa Maria, CA is about 9.8% cheaper overall than San Diego, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 15% lower in Santa Maria than in San Diego. If you earn $80,000 in San Diego, you'd need about $72,182 in Santa Maria to keep the same standard of living.