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Cost of Living Comparison Between Miami, FL and Santa Cruz, CA Cost of Living Comparison Between Miami, FL and Santa Cruz, CA

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Miami, FL is 4% more expensive than Santa Cruz, CA without rent, and 14.4% cheaper with rent.
๐Ÿ™‚ Family of 3: Miami, FL is 3.4% cheaper than Santa Cruz, CA without rent, and 4.2% cheaper with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Miami, FL
Santa Cruz, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$29.76 $29.76
$22.77 $22.77
30.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$118 $118
$79.7 $79.7
48.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.87 $12.87
$12.36 $12.36
4.13%
Cappuccino
$5.27 $5.27
$5.98 $5.98
-11.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 $3.39
$3.22 $3.22
5.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 $2.81
$2.57 $2.57
9.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.08 $8.08
$7.13 $7.13
13.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.16 $9.16
$7.47 $7.47
22.62%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Miami, FL
Santa Cruz, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 $1.19
$1.43 $1.43
-16.78%
White Bread (500g)
$3.89 $3.89
$4.95 $4.95
-21.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.42 $5.42
$6.88 $6.88
-21.22%
Eggs
$5.44 $5.44
$6.18 $6.18
-11.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.24 $13.24
$23.84 $23.84
-44.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$14.73 $14.73
-3.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.39 $20.39
$23.71 $23.71
-14.00%
Apples (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$7.01 $7.01
-35.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 $1.61
$2.90 $2.90
-44.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.49 $3.49
$5.31 $5.31
-34.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.13 $4.13
$7.63 $7.63
-45.87%
Potato (1kg)
$2.64 $2.64
$3.86 $3.86
-31.61%
Onion (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$3.82 $3.82
-14.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.75 $2.75
$2.88 $2.88
-4.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 $1.91
$2.76 $2.76
-30.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.02 $10.02
$13.81 $13.81
-27.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.09 $15.09
$30.56 $30.56
-50.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.41 $2.41
$2.09 $2.09
15.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 $2.84
$2.69 $2.69
5.58%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Miami, FL
Santa Cruz, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.31 $2.31
$1.96 $1.96
17.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$102 $102
$64.8 $64.8
57.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.09 $4.09
$4.13 $4.13
-0.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.34 $1.34
$1.89 $1.89
-29.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$45.51 $45.51
$38.48 $38.48
18.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.87 $0.87
$1.26 $1.26
-30.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K $30.3K
$35.4K $35.4K
-14.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$25.6K $25.6K
1.31%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Miami, FL
Santa Cruz, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$147 $147
$218 $218
-32.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$62.7 $62.7
$47.68 $47.68
31.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.5 $63.5
$67.5 $67.5
-5.88%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Miami, FL
Santa Cruz, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.7 $63.7
$59.5 $59.5
7.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.02 $25.02
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.93 $15.93
$17.18 $17.18
-7.28%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Miami, FL
Santa Cruz, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,436 $1,436
$3,217 $3,217
-55.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.5K $25.5K
$38.0K $38.0K
-33.10%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Miami, FL
Santa Cruz, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.2 $51.2
$64.1 $64.1
-20.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.8 $53.8
$46.47 $46.47
15.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.0 $94.0
$79.4 $79.4
18.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 $116
$115 $115
0.74%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Miami, FL
Santa Cruz, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,902 $2,902
$2,933 $2,933
-1.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,085 $2,085
$2,600 $2,600
-19.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,252 $5,252
$5,642 $5,642
-6.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,643 $3,643
$4,175 $4,175
-12.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,859 $6,859
$7,981 $7,981
-14.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,694 $3,694
$11.0K $11.0K
-66.47%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Miami, FL
Santa Cruz, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,119 $4,119
$5,545 $5,545
-25.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
6.36
2.99%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Miami, FL: January 10, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz, CA: January 12, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
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