Cost of Living
per year
per month
How San Luis Obispo's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
How far does your salary go in San Luis Obispo?
Your $100,000 in San Luis Obispo has the same purchasing power as $80,684 in the average US city. You'd need $19,316 more here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of San Luis Obispo's cost index of 124, sorted by closest match.
San Luis Obispo, California has a cost-of-living index of 124, which is 24% above the national average. The typical renter pays $1,850 per month. The median household earns $65,000 per year.
To match the lifestyle of a $70,000 earner in the average US city, you'd need about $86,758 per year in San Luis Obispo. Single renters typically want at least three times the $22,200 threshold to cover housing comfortably.
San Luis Obispo is more expensive than most US cities. Overall prices are 24% above the national average.