Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manhattan, KS and Santa Maria, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Manhattan, KS: $2,248 a month against $2,935 in Santa Maria, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Maria, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

108

Cost of Living Index in Manhattan, KS
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Manhattan, KS Living Index
140

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

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Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,248

/mo nomad

Santa Maria, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manhattan, KS 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 Manhattan, KS and in Santa Maria, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,248 in Manhattan, KS versus $2,935 in Santa Maria, CA.

Manhattan, KS $2,248
Santa Maria, CA $2,935

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,250 in Manhattan, KS versus $4,173 in Santa Maria, CA.

Manhattan, KS $3,250
Santa Maria, CA $4,173

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,252 in Manhattan, KS versus $5,411 in Santa Maria, CA.

Manhattan, KS $4,252
Santa Maria, CA $5,411

Living in Manhattan, KS costs roughly 23% less than in Santa Maria, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manhattan, KS 65% above, Santa Maria, CA 116% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.90 $14.90

$12.92 $12.92

15.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 $81.4

$61.1 $61.1

33.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$9.81 $9.81

24.46%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$6.13 $6.13

-11.42%

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

$2.04 $2.04

$3.56 $3.56

-42.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.06 $2.06

-29.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$7.59 $7.59

-35.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.25 $9.25

$9.56 $9.56

-3.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.10 $1.10

-14.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.07 $4.07

-19.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$4.65 $4.65

29.25%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$4.78 $4.78

-4.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.49 $11.49

$8.86 $8.86

29.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.54 $8.54

$7.52 $7.52

13.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.95 $14.95

$13.22 $13.22

13.09%

Apples (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$1.31 $1.31

413.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.35 $1.35

60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$2.53 $2.53

132.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.24 $3.24

30.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.89 $1.89

81.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.08 $1.08

255.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.98 $1.98

-7.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.87 $1.87

37.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.02 $9.02

$11.61 $11.61

-22.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.94 $16.94

$15.22 $15.22

11.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.92 $1.92

-10.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$4.05 $4.05

-36.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 $60.7

$49.65 $49.65

22.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 $4.87

$6.21 $6.21

-21.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.66 $34.66

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.34 $1.34

-36.57%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$29.0K $29.0K

-3.51%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-4.99%

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

$147 $147

$160 $160

-8.15%

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

$46.90 $46.90

$68.3 $68.3

-31.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 $66.1

$58.5 $58.5

12.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 $76.0

$29.28 $29.28

159.67%

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 $14.75

$15.13 $15.13

-2.51%

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

$814 $814

$1,875 $1,875

-56.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K $11.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.85 $47.85

$46.97 $46.97

1.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.46 $35.46

$40.61 $40.61

-12.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 $90.7

$92.1 $92.1

-1.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$124 $124

-6.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 $900

$2,227 $2,227

-59.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 $998

$1,782 $1,782

-44.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 $1,462

$3,494 $3,494

-58.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 $1,412

$2,917 $2,917

-51.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,514 $1,514

$9,593 $9,593

-84.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,504 $1,504

$9,427 $9,427

-84.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,407 $3,407

$4,224 $4,224

-19.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

6.39

-0.94%

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

Last update for Manhattan, KS: October 25, 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

Manhattan, KS

$998 44.4%

Santa Maria, CA

$1.8K 60.7% 78.6% $784

Groceries & Markets

Manhattan, KS

$402 17.9%

Santa Maria, CA

$320 10.9% 20.2% $81

Eating Out

Manhattan, KS

$278 12.4%

Santa Maria, CA

$286 9.7% 2.9% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manhattan, KS

$260 11.6%

Santa Maria, CA

$287 9.8% 10.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Manhattan, KS

$131 5.8%

Santa Maria, CA

$137 4.7% 4.5% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Manhattan, KS

$106 4.7%

Santa Maria, CA

$60 2% 43.6% $46

Getting Around

Manhattan, KS

$75 * 3.3%

Santa Maria, CA

$64 * 2.2% 14.3% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Manhattan, KS and $2,227 in Santa Maria, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Maria, CA pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $81 in Manhattan, KS vs $61 in Santa Maria, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $402 vs $320 per month, with Santa Maria, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 Santa Maria, CA

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

20:16 8:16 PM

2 h behind Manhattan, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,694,251

107,408

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Manhattan, KS Santa Maria, CA 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Manhattan, KS
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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

Manhattan, KS vs Santa Maria, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manhattan, KS is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Manhattan, KS. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $900 in Manhattan, KS versus $2,227 in Santa Maria, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $814 in Manhattan, KS versus $1,875 in Santa Maria, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santa Maria, CA pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,248 in Manhattan, KS versus $2,935 in Santa Maria, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Manhattan, KS but tight or insufficient in Santa Maria, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Manhattan, KS the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Manhattan, KS wins on affordability, Santa Maria, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.