Pay and tax
Santa Maria, CA Cost of Living Calculator
Prices in the Santa Maria, CA area are 8.8% above the US average, and housing 51.4% above (BEA, 2024). Compare a salary here with anywhere else.
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Santa Maria, CA price levels by category (US average = 100)
| Category | Price level | Against the US |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 108.8 | 8.8% above |
| Housing | 151.4 | 51.4% above |
| Goods | 105.2 | 5.2% above |
| Utilities | 149.8 | 49.8% above |
| Other services | 100.3 | about the same as |
What $75,000 in Santa Maria, CA equals in other large metros
| Metro area | Equivalent salary | Prices |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $77,619 | 3.5% |
| Los Angeles, CA | $78,309 | 4.4% |
| Chicago, IL | $71,415 | −4.8% |
| Dallas, TX | $71,071 | −5.2% |
| Houston, TX | $67,969 | −9.4% |
| Washington, DC | $75,069 | 0.1% |
| Philadelphia, PA | $70,726 | −5.7% |
| Atlanta, GA | $69,003 | −8.0% |
| Miami, FL | $78,722 | 5.0% |
| Phoenix, AZ | $71,209 | −5.1% |
How this calculator works
BEA regional price parities for the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metropolitan area, 2024: the price of the same basket of goods and services against the US average (100). Equivalent salaries scale by the ratio of the two areas' price levels.
Questions people ask
Is Santa Maria expensive to live in?
Overall prices are 8.8% above the US average; housing is 51.4% above.
What salary do I need in Santa Maria, CA?
To match $75,000 in an average-cost place, about $81,600. The area's median household income is $98,161.
How much is rent in Santa Maria, CA?
The median gross rent (including utilities) is $2,131 a month (Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
How does Santa Maria, CA compare with New York?
New York prices are 3.5% relative to Santa Maria, CA: $75,000 here equals $77,619 there.
Nearby and large metro areas
- Los Angeles, CA
- Riverside, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Diego, CA
- Sacramento, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Fresno, CA
- Bakersfield, CA
- Oxnard, CA
- Stockton, CA
- Modesto, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Visalia, CA
- Vallejo, CA
- Salinas, CA
- Merced, CA
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- Santa Cruz, CA
- New York, NY
- Chicago, IL
- Dallas, TX
- Houston, TX
- Washington, DC
- Philadelphia, PA
Related calculators
Sources
- BEA: Regional price parities by metro area, 2024
- US Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates (median rent B25064, income B19013)
Updated by the RateHerald team. The maths is tested against worked examples; report a problem.