Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Barbara, CA and Newport Beach, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Barbara, CA: $4,251 a month against $5,160 in Newport Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Newport Beach, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

205

Cost of Living Index in Santa Barbara, CA
Learn more

Santa Barbara, CA Living Index
248

Cost of Living Index in Newport Beach, CA
Learn more

Newport Beach, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Santa Barbara, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,251

/mo nomad

Newport Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$5,160

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Barbara, CA and in Newport Beach, CA

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

A single person spends $4,251 per month in Santa Barbara, CA vs $5,160 in Newport Beach, CA, rent included.

Santa Barbara, CA $4,251
Newport Beach, CA $5,160

A couple spends around $6,124 per month in Santa Barbara, CA vs $7,319 in Newport Beach, CA, rent included.

Santa Barbara, CA $6,124
Newport Beach, CA $7,319

A family of three spends $7,997 per month in Santa Barbara, CA vs $9,477 in Newport Beach, CA, rent included.

Santa Barbara, CA $7,997
Newport Beach, CA $9,477

Santa Barbara, CA is about 18% cheaper than Newport Beach, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Santa Barbara, CA and Newport Beach, CA sit above the global median – Santa Barbara, CA by 212%, Newport Beach, CA by 279%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.05 $25.05

$24.79 $24.79

1.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.4 $99.4

$98.1 $98.1

1.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.24 $15.24

$14.86 $14.86

2.56%

Cappuccino

$5.91 $5.91

$5.72 $5.72

3.32%

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

$3.70 $3.70

$3.02 $3.02

22.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.41 $2.41

26.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.09 $8.09

$7.31 $7.31

10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.92 $11.92

$9.54 $9.54

24.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.22 $1.22

17.21%

White Bread (500g)

$4.50 $4.50

$5.67 $5.67

-20.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.93 $6.93

$4.22 $4.22

64.22%

Eggs

$5.22 $5.22

$5.12 $5.12

1.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$12.22 $12.22

55.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.54 $14.54

$8.71 $8.71

66.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.93 $21.93

$14.03 $14.03

56.31%

Apples (1kg)

$8.17 $8.17

$4.60 $4.60

77.61%

Banana (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.70 $1.70

98.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$3.94 $3.94

57.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$5.74 $5.74

75.61%

Potato (1kg)

$8.74 $8.74

$3.62 $3.62

141.44%

Onion (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.07 $3.07

53.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.11 $2.11

70.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.29 $2.29

23.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.61 $11.61

$11.62 $11.62

-0.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.30 $16.30

$15.05 $15.05

8.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.74 $1.74

27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.10 $3.10

40.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.6 $52.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$4.60 $4.60

-35.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.82 $1.82

40.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.9 $58.9

$36.58 $36.58

61.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.53 $1.53

-3.27%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$27.8K $27.8K

0.89%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.06%

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

$256 $256

$217 $217

17.55%

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

$74.3 $74.3

$80.8 $80.8

-8.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.1 $72.1

$68.8 $68.8

4.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.1 $84.1

$117 $117

-28.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.23 $20.23

$28.41 $28.41

-28.79%

Cinema Ticket

$13.85 $13.85

$20.06 $20.06

-30.96%

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

$1,427 $1,427

$1,746 $1,746

-18.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.7K $37.7K

$36.6K $36.6K

3.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 $86.4

$62.3 $62.3

38.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.42 $45.42

$41.38 $41.38

9.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 $78.8

$79.4 $79.4

-0.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$104 $104

24.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,886 $2,886

$4,338 $4,338

-33.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 $2,521

$3,700 $3,700

-31.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,968 $4,968

$7,186 $7,186

-30.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,122 $4,122

$6,170 $6,170

-33.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.9K $12.9K

$16.2K $16.2K

-19.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$16.0K $16.0K

-31.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,202 $5,202

$6,237 $6,237

-16.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.45

4.65%

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

Last update for Santa Barbara, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Newport Beach, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Barbara, CA

$2.5K 59.3%

Newport Beach, CA

$3.7K 71.7% 46.8% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Barbara, CA

$576 13.6%

Newport Beach, CA

$404 7.8% 29.9% $172

Eating Out

Santa Barbara, CA

$408 9.6%

Newport Beach, CA

$389 7.5% 4.8% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Barbara, CA

$402 9.5%

Newport Beach, CA

$367 7.1% 8.7% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Barbara, CA

$153 3.6%

Newport Beach, CA

$129 2.5% 15.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Barbara, CA

$112 2.6%

Newport Beach, CA

$157 3.1% 40.8% $46

Getting Around

Santa Barbara, CA

$78 1.8%

Newport Beach, CA

$14 * 0.3% 82.5% $65

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,886 in Santa Barbara, CA versus $4,338 in Newport Beach, 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 20% higher in Newport Beach, 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 $99 in Santa Barbara, CA versus $98 in Newport Beach, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $576 vs $404 – making Newport Beach, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Barbara, CA

🇺🇸 Newport Beach, CA

🕒 Local time

22:27 10:27 PM

Same time as Santa Barbara, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,196

85,186

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Barbara, CA Newport Beach, CA 190 km

From you

Santa Barbara, CA
Newport Beach, 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

Santa Barbara, CA vs Newport Beach, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Newport Beach, CA is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,376 per month in Santa Barbara, CA and $7,740 in Newport Beach, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Barbara, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,886 there versus $4,338 in Newport Beach, CA.

Interestingly, groceries are about 30% cheaper in Newport Beach, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $1,427 per month in Santa Barbara, CA and $1,746 in Newport Beach, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$4,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,251 in Santa Barbara, CA and $5,160 in Newport Beach, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Barbara, CA. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Newport Beach, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.