Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Monica, CA and Aspen, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Monica, CA: $4,430 a month against $5,138 in Aspen, CO, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

214

Cost of Living Index in Santa Monica, CA
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Santa Monica, CA Living Index
251

Cost of Living Index in Aspen, CO
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Aspen, CO Living Index

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Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,430

/mo nomad

Aspen, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$5,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Monica, CA and in Aspen, CO

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

A single person spends $4,430 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $5,138 in Aspen, CO, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $4,430
Aspen, CO $5,138

A couple spends around $6,581 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $7,519 in Aspen, CO, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $6,581
Aspen, CO $7,519

A family of three spends $8,732 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $9,900 in Aspen, CO, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $8,732
Aspen, CO $9,900

Santa Monica, CA is about 14% cheaper than Aspen, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santa Monica, CA and Aspen, CO sit above the global median – Santa Monica, CA by 228%, Aspen, CO by 281%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.77 $26.77

$20.27 $20.27

32.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$79.1 $79.1

49.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 $14.88

$10.86 $10.86

37.02%

Cappuccino

$5.93 $5.93

$5.43 $5.43

9.21%

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

$3.26 $3.26

$3.59 $3.59

-9.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.98 $2.98

-19.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.11 $7.11

14.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 $9.95

$9.11 $9.11

9.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.19 $1.19

12.61%

White Bread (500g)

$4.57 $4.57

$5.48 $5.48

-16.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$6.76 $6.76

-31.21%

Eggs

$5.73 $5.73

$5.58 $5.58

2.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.77 $15.77

$11.68 $11.68

35.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.21 $14.21

$11.00 $11.00

29.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 $19.80

$17.51 $17.51

13.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$5.95 $5.95

-20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.46 $1.46

56.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$6.12 $6.12

-35.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$6.13 $6.13

-11.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.95 $3.95

-16.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.69 $3.69

-23.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.45 $3.45

-37.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.75 $2.75

-9.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$10.84 $10.84

6.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$17.19 $17.19

-11.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.83 $1.83

32.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$4.89 $4.89

-37.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 $67.0

$91.0 $91.0

-26.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.45 $2.45

28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.37 $1.37

38.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.68 $32.68

$23.95 $23.95

36.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.02 $1.02

42.16%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$35.7K $35.7K

3.04%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.4K $25.4K

0.52%

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

$218 $218

$149 $149

45.96%

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

$46.37 $46.37

$72.1 $72.1

-35.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.1 $65.1

$75.3 $75.3

-13.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 $70.7

$137 $137

-48.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.11 $44.11

Cinema Ticket

$19.36 $19.36

$16.28 $16.28

18.92%

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

$1,694 $1,694

$1,590 $1,590

6.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.5K $32.5K

$30.6K $30.6K

5.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 $88.9

$70.3 $70.3

26.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 $54.8

$48.77 $48.77

12.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$93.5 $93.5

11.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$141 $141

-14.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,328 $3,328

$4,051 $4,051

-17.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 $2,860

$3,601 $3,601

-20.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,804 $5,804

$7,881 $7,881

-26.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,048 $5,048

$6,487 $6,487

-22.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

-0.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,924 $7,924

$7,649 $7,649

3.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,900 $6,900

$4,976 $4,976

38.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.55

1.07%

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

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

Last update for Aspen, CO: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Monica, CA

$2.9K 64.6%

Aspen, CO

$3.6K 70.1% 25.9% $741

Groceries & Markets

Santa Monica, CA

$462 10.4%

Aspen, CO

$472 9.2% 2.2% $10

Eating Out

Santa Monica, CA

$413 9.3%

Aspen, CO

$340 6.6% 17.7% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Monica, CA

$329 7.4%

Aspen, CO

$297 5.8% 9.9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Monica, CA

$166 3.8%

Aspen, CO

$159 3.1% 4.1% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Monica, CA

$109 2.5%

Aspen, CO

$169 3.3% 54.7% $60

Getting Around

Santa Monica, CA

$90 2%

Aspen, CO

$100 * 2% 11.8% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,328 in Santa Monica, CA versus $4,051 in Aspen, CO. 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 39% higher in Santa Monica, CA, 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 $118 in Santa Monica, CA versus $79.0 in Aspen, CO. Groceries tell a different story – $462 in Santa Monica, CA vs $472 in Aspen, CO – so Santa Monica, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 Aspen, CO

🕒 Local time

16:25 4:25 PM

17:25 5:25 PM

1 h ahead of Santa Monica, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,736

7,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Santa Monica, CA Aspen, CO 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Monica, CA
Aspen, CO

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 Monica, CA vs Aspen, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aspen, CO costs about 16% more than Santa Monica, CA, 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 $6,645 per month in Santa Monica, CA and $7,707 in Aspen, CO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 2% more in Aspen, CO, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Santa Monica, CA and $79.0 in Aspen, CO. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$4,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA and $5,138 in Aspen, CO. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Monica, CA costs $4,430 versus $5,138 in Aspen, CO. 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 Santa Monica, CA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aspen, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.