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 Jose | Santa Barbara | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,526/mo | $2,209/mo | 14.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,149,600 | $1,346,800 | 14.6% lower in A |
| Median household income | $136,010 | $98,346 | 38.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 125.1 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 104.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
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 Jose, you'd need $87,450 in Santa Barbara to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Santa Barbara, CA is about 12.5% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 13% lower in Santa Barbara than in San Jose. If you earn $80,000 in San Jose, you'd need about $69,960 in Santa Barbara to keep the same standard of living.