Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bentonville, AR: $2,367 a month against $2,899 in Santa Maria, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Santa Maria, CA
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Santa Maria, CA Living Index
116

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

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Santa Maria, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,899

/mo nomad

Bentonville, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,367

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,899 per month in Santa Maria, CA vs $2,367 in Bentonville, AR, rent included.

Santa Maria, CA $2,899
Bentonville, AR $2,367

A couple spends around $4,163 per month in Santa Maria, CA vs $3,451 in Bentonville, AR, rent included.

Santa Maria, CA $4,163
Bentonville, AR $3,451

A family of three spends $5,427 per month in Santa Maria, CA vs $4,535 in Bentonville, AR, rent included.

Santa Maria, CA $5,427
Bentonville, AR $4,535

Santa Maria, CA costs about 22% more than Bentonville, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Santa Maria, CA and Bentonville, AR sit above the global median – Santa Maria, CA by 115%, Bentonville, AR by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.21 $13.21

$20.14 $20.14

-34.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.6 $59.6

$59.8 $59.8

-0.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 $9.84

$12.42 $12.42

-20.77%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$5.43 $5.43

11.79%

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

$3.44 $3.44

$2.56 $2.56

34.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.80 $1.80

8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.52 $7.52

$6.64 $6.64

13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.38 $9.38

$7.43 $7.43

26.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.03 $1.03

2.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 $4.12

$2.80 $2.80

47.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$4.28 $4.28

13.32%

Eggs

$4.79 $4.79

$4.02 $4.02

19.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 $8.83

$9.38 $9.38

-5.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$9.87 $9.87

-23.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.55 $13.55

$13.54 $13.54

0.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$4.03 $4.03

-67.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.30 $1.30

10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.08 $3.08

-17.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.50 $2.50

30.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.75 $1.75

9.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.16 $2.16

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.89 $1.89

4.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.19 $2.19

-15.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.50 $11.50

$7.95 $7.95

44.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 $15.15

$12.20 $12.20

24.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.79 $1.79

8.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 $4.29

$3.07 $3.07

39.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.55 $49.55

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 $6.20

$2.53 $2.53

145.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.0 $59.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$0.84 $0.84

54.76%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$31.4K $31.4K

16.91%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$25.2K $25.2K

6.88%

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

$162 $162

$187 $187

-13.55%

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

$68.5 $68.5

$52.0 $52.0

31.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 $60.4

$63.8 $63.8

-5.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.38 $29.38

$22.06 $22.06

33.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.11 $5.11

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 $14.90

$15.20 $15.20

-1.97%

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

$1,888 $1,888

$1,196 $1,196

57.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K $21.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.77 $46.77

$46.44 $46.44

0.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.74 $39.74

$38.86 $38.86

2.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 $93.7

$65.6 $65.6

42.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$77.3 $77.3

61.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 $2,199

$1,668 $1,668

31.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 $1,738

$1,245 $1,245

39.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,497 $3,497

$3,047 $3,047

14.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,928 $2,928

$2,120 $2,120

38.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,572 $8,572

$3,936 $3,936

117.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,442 $8,442

$2,390 $2,390

253.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,231 $4,231

$5,644 $5,644

-25.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.56

-2.59%

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

Last update for Santa Maria, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bentonville, AR: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Maria, CA

$1.7K 60%

Bentonville, AR

$1.2K 52.6% 28.3% $493

Groceries & Markets

Santa Maria, CA

$323 11.2%

Bentonville, AR

$325 13.8% 0.6% $1.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Maria, CA

$291 10%

Bentonville, AR

$303 12.8% 4.2% $12

Eating Out

Santa Maria, CA

$286 9.9%

Bentonville, AR

$329 13.9% 15% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Maria, CA

$137 4.7%

Bentonville, AR

$103 4.3% 25.2% $35

Getting Around

Santa Maria, CA

$64 * 2.2%

Bentonville, AR

$8.8 * 0.4% 86.2% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Maria, CA

$59 2%

Bentonville, AR

$52 2.2% 11.3% $6.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,199 in Santa Maria, CA versus $1,668 in Bentonville, AR. 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 $60.0 in Santa Maria, CA versus $60.0 in Bentonville, AR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $325 – making Santa Maria, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Maria, CA

🇺🇸 Bentonville, AR

🕒 Local time

22:42 10:42 PM

00:42 12:42 AM

2 h ahead of Santa Maria, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,408

54,164

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Santa Maria, CA
Bentonville, AR

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,899 in Santa Maria, CA, $2,367 in Bentonville, AR – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,348 per month in Santa Maria, CA and $3,550 in Bentonville, AR. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,899 in Santa Maria, CA and $2,367 in Bentonville, AR. That's a gap of about 22%.

Kindergarten costs $1,888 per month in Santa Maria, CA and $1,196 in Bentonville, AR. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,899 in Santa Maria, CA and $2,367 in Bentonville, AR. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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.

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 Bentonville, AR. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Maria, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.