Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

105

Cost of Living Index in Staunton, VA
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Staunton, VA Living Index
171

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

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Staunton, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,166

/mo nomad

San Luis Obispo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,487

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Staunton, VA is about 38% cheaper than San Luis Obispo, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.98 $19.98

$24.03 $24.03

-16.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.3 $80.3

$58.9 $58.9

36.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.77 $12.77

$13.25 $13.25

-3.62%

Cappuccino

$5.44 $5.44

$6.26 $6.26

-13.10%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$2.90 $2.90

5.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.48 $2.48

-1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.92 $3.92

$7.97 $7.97

-50.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 $5.37

$7.88 $7.88

-31.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.12 $1.12

-2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.30 $4.30

-23.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$5.54 $5.54

-29.60%

Eggs

$4.73 $4.73

$4.72 $4.72

0.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.49 $11.49

$15.24 $15.24

-24.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$8.70 $8.70

75.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.27 $15.27

$15.43 $15.43

-1.04%

Apples (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$3.81 $3.81

62.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.99 $1.99

-26.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.30 $3.30

21.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$3.37 $3.37

27.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.79 $2.79

-22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.78 $2.78

-5.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.16 $2.16

-8.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.94 $1.94

32.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.28 $9.28

$11.55 $11.55

-19.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.03 $16.03

$16.97 $16.97

-5.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.83 $1.83

-7.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.13 $3.13

4.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 $1.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 $60.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$6.37 $6.37

-20.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.74 $2.74

12.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 $35.26

$37.64 $37.64

-6.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.45 $1.45

-39.31%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$36.7K $36.7K

-38.31%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$25.3K $25.3K

-3.45%

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

$178 $178

$249 $249

-28.50%

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

$39.49 $39.49

$53.9 $53.9

-26.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.34 $30.34

$69.6 $69.6

-56.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.06 $44.06

$42.89 $42.89

2.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.6 $50.6

Cinema Ticket

$13.43 $13.43

$12.47 $12.47

7.70%

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

$3,196 $3,196

$2,345 $2,345

36.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$65.7K $65.7K

$34.6K $34.6K

89.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 $87.1

$67.4 $67.4

29.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 $56.1

$49.73 $49.73

12.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 $141

$107 $107

30.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 $153

$98.5 $98.5

55.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 $1,324

$2,635 $2,635

-49.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 $904

$2,042 $2,042

-55.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,634 $1,634

$4,972 $4,972

-67.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,479 $1,479

$3,709 $3,709

-60.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,260 $2,260

$7,383 $7,383

-69.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 $2,264

$6,795 $6,795

-66.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,970 $3,970

$5,553 $5,553

-28.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.99

6.26

11.66%

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

Last update for Staunton, VA: October 10, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Staunton, VA

$904 41.8%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$2K 58.6% 126% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Staunton, VA

$410 18.9%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$387 11.1% 5.6% $23

Eating Out

Staunton, VA

$316 14.6%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$384 11% 21.6% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Staunton, VA

$248 11.4%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$372 10.7% 50.3% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Staunton, VA

$197 9.1%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$145 4.2% 26% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Staunton, VA

$71 3.3%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$68 2% 4.4% $3.1

Getting Around

Staunton, VA

$21 * 1%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$88 2.5% 328% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,324 in Staunton, VA versus $2,635 in San Luis Obispo, 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 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 $80.0 in Staunton, VA versus $59.0 in San Luis Obispo, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $410 vs $387 – making San Luis Obispo, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Staunton, VA

🇺🇸 San Luis Obispo, CA

🕒 Local time

10:18 10:18 AM

07:18 7:18 AM

3 h behind Staunton, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,528

47,339

💱 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

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

From you

Staunton, VA
San Luis Obispo, 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

Staunton, VA vs San Luis Obispo, CA: 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 $3,248 per month in Staunton, VA and $5,230 in San Luis Obispo, CA. 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 $80.0 in Staunton, VA and $59.0 in San Luis Obispo, CA. 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.