Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Santa Monica'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 Monica?
Your $100,000 in Santa Monica has the same purchasing power as $56,938 in the average US city. You'd need $43,062 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.
Santa Monica, California has a cost-of-living index of 176, which is 76% above the national average. The typical renter pays $2,227 per month. The median household earns $106,797 per year.
To match the lifestyle of a $70,000 earner in the average US city, you'd need about $122,941 per year in Santa Monica. Single renters typically want at least three times the $26,724 threshold to cover housing comfortably.
Santa Monica is more expensive than most US cities. Overall prices are 76% above the national average.