Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bentonville, AR and Santa Maria, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Bentonville, AR: $2,339 a month against $2,935 in Santa Maria, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Bentonville, AR
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Bentonville, AR Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Santa Maria, CA
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Santa Maria, CA Living Index

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Bentonville, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,339

/mo nomad

Santa Maria, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bentonville, AR and in Santa Maria, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bentonville, AR and in Santa Maria, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,339 per month in Bentonville, AR vs $2,935 in Santa Maria, CA, rent included.

Bentonville, AR $2,339
Santa Maria, CA $2,935

A couple spends around $3,372 per month in Bentonville, AR vs $4,173 in Santa Maria, CA, rent included.

Bentonville, AR $3,372
Santa Maria, CA $4,173

A family of three spends $4,406 per month in Bentonville, AR vs $5,411 in Santa Maria, CA, rent included.

Bentonville, AR $4,406
Santa Maria, CA $5,411

Bentonville, AR is about 20% cheaper than Santa Maria, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bentonville, AR and Santa Maria, CA sit above the global median – Bentonville, AR by 72%, Santa Maria, CA by 116%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.48 $20.48

$12.92 $12.92

58.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 $59.8

$61.1 $61.1

-2.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.48 $12.48

$9.81 $9.81

27.22%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$6.13 $6.13

-11.42%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.56 $3.56

-30.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.06 $2.06

-14.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 $6.37

$7.59 $7.59

-16.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 $7.65

$9.56 $9.56

-19.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.10 $1.10

-4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$4.07 $4.07

-29.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.65 $4.65

-6.02%

Eggs

$3.88 $3.88

$4.78 $4.78

-18.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 $9.06

$8.86 $8.86

2.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$7.52 $7.52

25.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 $13.54

$13.22 $13.22

2.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.31 $1.31

217.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.35 $1.35

-5.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.53 $2.53

26.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.24 $3.24

-20.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.89 $1.89

-7.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.08 $1.08

101.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.98 $1.98

-7.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.87 $1.87

12.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.22 $8.22

$11.61 $11.61

-29.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.97 $11.97

$15.22 $15.22

-21.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.92 $1.92

-3.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$4.05 $4.05

-25.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.65 $49.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$6.21 $6.21

-59.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 $60.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.34 $1.34

-31.34%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.8K $28.8K

$29.0K $29.0K

-0.82%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.7K $25.7K

$27.1K $27.1K

-5.22%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$191 $191

$160 $160

19.32%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$51.1 $51.1

$68.3 $68.3

-25.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 $63.4

$58.5 $58.5

8.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.57 $21.57

$29.28 $29.28

-26.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.13 $5.13

Cinema Ticket

$15.17 $15.17

$15.13 $15.13

0.26%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,150 $1,150

$1,875 $1,875

-38.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K $21.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.79 $46.79

$46.97 $46.97

-0.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.98 $38.98

$40.61 $40.61

-4.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 $66.0

$92.1 $92.1

-28.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.8 $76.8

$124 $124

-38.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,632 $1,632

$2,227 $2,227

-26.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 $1,217

$1,782 $1,782

-31.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,224 $3,224

$3,494 $3,494

-7.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 $1,992

$2,917 $2,917

-31.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,211 $5,211

$9,593 $9,593

-45.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,259 $2,259

$9,427 $9,427

-76.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,617 $5,617

$4,224 $4,224

32.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.39

2.66%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bentonville, AR: October 26, 2026

Last update for Santa Maria, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bentonville, AR

$1.2K 52%

Santa Maria, CA

$1.8K 60.7% 46.4% $565

Eating Out

Bentonville, AR

$331 14.1%

Santa Maria, CA

$286 9.7% 13.5% $45

Groceries & Markets

Bentonville, AR

$323 13.8%

Santa Maria, CA

$320 10.9% 0.7% $2.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bentonville, AR

$305 13.1%

Santa Maria, CA

$287 9.8% 6.1% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Bentonville, AR

$103 4.4%

Santa Maria, CA

$137 4.7% 32.9% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Bentonville, AR

$52 2.2%

Santa Maria, CA

$60 2% 14.7% $7.6

Getting Around

Bentonville, AR

$8.8 * 0.4%

Santa Maria, CA

$64 * 2.2% 626% $55

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,632 in Bentonville, AR versus $2,227 in Santa Maria, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 33% higher in Bentonville, AR, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Bentonville, AR versus $61 in Santa Maria, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $323 in Bentonville, AR vs $320 in Santa Maria, CA – so Santa Maria, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bentonville, AR

🇺🇸 Santa Maria, CA

🕒 Local time

08:43 8:43 AM

06:43 6:43 AM

2 h behind Bentonville, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,164

107,408

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bentonville, AR Santa Maria, CA 2,370 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bentonville, AR
Santa Maria, CA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bentonville, AR vs Santa Maria, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,339 in Bentonville, AR, $2,935 in Santa Maria, CA – Bentonville, AR comes out roughly 20% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,508 per month in Bentonville, AR and $4,403 in Santa Maria, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bentonville, AR, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,632 there versus $2,227 in Santa Maria, CA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,339 in Bentonville, AR and $2,935 in Santa Maria, CA. That makes Bentonville, AR about 20% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,150 per month in Bentonville, AR and $1,875 in Santa Maria, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Bentonville, AR – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.