Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Luis Obispo, CA and Staunton, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Staunton, VA: $2,166 a month against $3,487 in San Luis Obispo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

171

Cost of Living Index in San Luis Obispo, CA
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San Luis Obispo, CA Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Staunton, VA
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Staunton, VA Living Index

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San Luis Obispo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,487

/mo nomad

Staunton, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,166

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Luis Obispo, CA and in Staunton, VA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Luis Obispo, CA and in Staunton, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,487 per month in San Luis Obispo, CA vs $2,166 in Staunton, VA, rent included.

San Luis Obispo, CA $3,487
Staunton, VA $2,166

A couple spends around $5,130 per month in San Luis Obispo, CA vs $3,267 in Staunton, VA, rent included.

San Luis Obispo, CA $5,130
Staunton, VA $3,267

A family of three spends $6,774 per month in San Luis Obispo, CA vs $4,368 in Staunton, VA, rent included.

San Luis Obispo, CA $6,774
Staunton, VA $4,368

San Luis Obispo, CA costs about 61% more than Staunton, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Luis Obispo, CA and Staunton, VA sit above the global median – San Luis Obispo, CA by 158%, Staunton, VA by 60%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.03 $24.03

$19.98 $19.98

20.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.9 $58.9

$80.3 $80.3

-26.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 $13.25

$12.77 $12.77

3.76%

Cappuccino

$6.26 $6.26

$5.44 $5.44

15.07%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$3.06 $3.06

-5.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.44 $2.44

1.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$3.92 $3.92

103.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 $7.88

$5.37 $5.37

46.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.09 $1.09

2.75%

White Bread (500g)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.29 $3.29

30.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$3.90 $3.90

42.05%

Eggs

$4.72 $4.72

$4.73 $4.73

-0.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.24 $15.24

$11.49 $11.49

32.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.70 $8.70

$15.31 $15.31

-43.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.43 $15.43

$15.27 $15.27

1.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$6.18 $6.18

-38.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.46 $1.46

36.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$4.02 $4.02

-17.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.29 $4.29

-21.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.16 $2.16

29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.62 $2.62

6.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.97 $1.97

9.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.57 $2.57

-24.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.55 $11.55

$9.28 $9.28

24.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.97 $16.97

$16.03 $16.03

5.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.69 $1.69

8.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.28 $3.28

-4.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 $1.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 $60.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 $6.37

$5.09 $5.09

25.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.09 $3.09

-11.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.64 $37.64

$35.26 $35.26

6.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.88 $0.88

64.77%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$22.7K $22.7K

62.09%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$24.5K $24.5K

3.57%

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

$249 $249

$178 $178

39.87%

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

$53.9 $53.9

$39.49 $39.49

36.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 $69.6

$30.34 $30.34

129.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.89 $42.89

$44.06 $44.06

-2.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.6 $50.6

Cinema Ticket

$12.47 $12.47

$13.43 $13.43

-7.15%

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

$2,345 $2,345

$3,196 $3,196

-26.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K $34.6K

$65.7K $65.7K

-47.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.4 $67.4

$87.1 $87.1

-22.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.73 $49.73

$56.1 $56.1

-11.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$141 $141

-23.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.5 $98.5

$153 $153

-35.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,635 $2,635

$1,324 $1,324

98.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 $2,042

$904 $904

125.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,972 $4,972

$1,634 $1,634

204.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,709 $3,709

$1,479 $1,479

150.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,383 $7,383

$2,260 $2,260

226.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,795 $6,795

$2,264 $2,264

200.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,553 $5,553

$3,970 $3,970

39.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.26

6.99

-10.44%

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

Last update for San Luis Obispo, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Staunton, VA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Luis Obispo, CA

$2K 58.6%

Staunton, VA

$904 41.8% 55.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

San Luis Obispo, CA

$387 11.1%

Staunton, VA

$410 18.9% 5.9% $23

Eating Out

San Luis Obispo, CA

$384 11%

Staunton, VA

$316 14.6% 17.8% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Luis Obispo, CA

$372 10.7%

Staunton, VA

$248 11.4% 33.5% $125

Clothing & Footwear

San Luis Obispo, CA

$145 4.2%

Staunton, VA

$197 9.1% 35.2% $51

Getting Around

San Luis Obispo, CA

$88 2.5%

Staunton, VA

$21 * 1% 76.6% $67

Sport & Entertainment

San Luis Obispo, CA

$68 2%

Staunton, VA

$71 3.3% 4.6% $3.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,635 in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $1,324 in Staunton, VA. 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 40% higher in San Luis Obispo, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $80.0 in Staunton, VA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $410 – making San Luis Obispo, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Luis Obispo, CA

🇺🇸 Staunton, VA

🕒 Local time

11:29 11:29 AM

14:29 2:29 PM

3 h ahead of San Luis Obispo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,339

24,528

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Luis Obispo, CA Staunton, VA 3,690 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Luis Obispo, CA
Staunton, VA

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

San Luis Obispo, CA vs Staunton, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Luis Obispo, CA costs about 61% more than Staunton, VA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,230 per month in San Luis Obispo, CA and $3,248 in Staunton, VA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Staunton, VA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in San Luis Obispo, CA and $80.0 in Staunton, VA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in San Luis Obispo, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Staunton, VA, where all-in costs run around $2,166, than in San Luis Obispo, CA at $3,487. In Staunton, VA it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Luis Obispo, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Staunton, VA costs $2,166 versus $3,487 in San Luis Obispo, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Staunton, VA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Luis Obispo, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.