Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Santa Maria's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
Index: 100 = US city average. Values >100 mean more expensive, <100 means cheaper.
How far does your salary go in Santa Maria?
Your $100,000 in Santa Maria has the same purchasing power as $71,721 in the average US city. You'd need $28,279 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 Santa Maria's cost index of 139, sorted by closest match.
Santa Maria, California has a cost-of-living index of 139, which is 39% above the national average. The typical renter pays $1,768 per month. The median household earns $81,237 per year.
To match the lifestyle of a $70,000 earner in the average US city, you'd need about $97,601 per year in Santa Maria. Single renters typically want at least three times the $21,216 threshold to cover housing comfortably.
Santa Maria is more expensive than most US cities. Overall prices are 39% above the national average.