Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Manhattan, KS: $2,249 a month against $2,899 in Santa Maria, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Maria, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

142

Cost of Living Index in Santa Maria, CA
Learn more

Santa Maria, CA Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Manhattan, KS
Learn more

Manhattan, KS Living Index

Jump to prices

Santa Maria, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,899

/mo nomad

Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,249

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Maria, CA and in Manhattan, KS

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 Manhattan, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,899 in Santa Maria, CA versus $2,249 in Manhattan, KS.

Santa Maria, CA $2,899
Manhattan, KS $2,249

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,163 in Santa Maria, CA versus $3,271 in Manhattan, KS.

Santa Maria, CA $4,163
Manhattan, KS $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,427 in Santa Maria, CA versus $4,292 in Manhattan, KS.

Santa Maria, CA $5,427
Manhattan, KS $4,292

Living in Santa Maria, CA is roughly 29% more expensive than in Manhattan, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Maria, CA 115% above, Manhattan, KS 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.21 $13.21

$15.10 $15.10

-12.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.6 $59.6

$81.1 $81.1

-26.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 $9.84

$12.10 $12.10

-18.68%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$5.41 $5.41

12.20%

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

$3.44 $3.44

$1.97 $1.97

74.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.47 $1.47

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.52 $7.52

$5.10 $5.10

47.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.38 $9.38

$9.19 $9.19

2.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.88 $0.88

20.45%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.25 $3.25

26.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$6.28 $6.28

-22.77%

Eggs

$4.79 $4.79

$4.48 $4.48

6.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 $8.83

$11.77 $11.77

-24.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$8.70 $8.70

-13.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.55 $13.55

$14.68 $14.68

-7.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$6.79 $6.79

-80.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.17 $2.17

-34.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$5.79 $5.79

-55.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$4.29 $4.29

-23.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$3.37 $3.37

-43.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$3.77 $3.77

-71.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.84 $1.84

7.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.66 $2.66

-30.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.50 $11.50

$9.57 $9.57

20.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 $15.15

$17.24 $17.24

-12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.71 $1.71

13.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.54 $2.54

68.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.55 $49.55

$60.8 $60.8

-18.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 $6.20

$4.88 $4.88

27.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.39 $34.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$0.92 $0.92

41.30%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$35.4K $35.4K

3.63%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$25.6K $25.6K

5.10%

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

$162 $162

$144 $144

12.07%

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

$68.5 $68.5

$47.66 $47.66

43.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 $60.4

$66.2 $66.2

-8.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.38 $29.38

$74.5 $74.5

-60.55%

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 $14.90

$14.85 $14.85

0.34%

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

$1,888 $1,888

$833 $833

126.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K $11.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.77 $46.77

$48.15 $48.15

-2.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.74 $39.74

$34.94 $34.94

13.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 $93.7

$89.5 $89.5

4.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$115 $115

8.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 $2,199

$927 $927

137.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 $1,738

$998 $998

74.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,497 $3,497

$1,457 $1,457

140.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,928 $2,928

$1,452 $1,452

101.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,572 $8,572

$1,366 $1,366

527.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,442 $8,442

$1,400 $1,400

502.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,231 $4,231

$3,433 $3,433

23.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.33

0.95%

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 Manhattan, KS: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Maria, CA

$1.7K 60%

Manhattan, KS

$998 44.4% 42.6% $740

Groceries & Markets

Santa Maria, CA

$323 11.2%

Manhattan, KS

$404 18% 24.9% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Maria, CA

$291 10%

Manhattan, KS

$258 11.5% 11.1% $32

Eating Out

Santa Maria, CA

$286 9.9%

Manhattan, KS

$280 12.4% 2.2% $6.4

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Maria, CA

$137 4.7%

Manhattan, KS

$130 5.8% 5.6% $7.7

Getting Around

Santa Maria, CA

$64 * 2.2%

Manhattan, KS

$75 * 3.4% 17.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Maria, CA

$59 2%

Manhattan, KS

$104 4.6% 76% $45

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 $2,199 in Santa Maria, CA and $927 in Manhattan, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Maria, CA pays 23% 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: $60.0 in Santa Maria, CA vs $81.0 in Manhattan, KS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $404 per month, with Santa Maria, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Maria, CA

🇺🇸 Manhattan, KS

🕒 Local time

22:42 10:42 PM

00:42 12:42 AM

2 h ahead of Santa Maria, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,408

1,694,251

💱 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 Manhattan, KS 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Santa Maria, CA
Manhattan, KS

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 Manhattan, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manhattan, KS is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Santa Maria, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,199 in Santa Maria, CA versus $927 in Manhattan, KS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,888 in Santa Maria, CA versus $833 in Manhattan, KS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santa Maria, CA pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,249 in Manhattan, KS versus $2,899 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.

Safety-wise, Santa Maria, CA and Manhattan, KS are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Manhattan, KS gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Santa Maria, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.