Cost of Living in Montecito, CA

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F
238%
Overall NAT. AVG.
6%
Goods & Services NAT. AVG.
754%
Housing NAT. AVG.
Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.
The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living is 90, then it is 10% lower than average. If the cost of living is 110, then it is 10% higher than average. The breakdown for each index is as follows: goods & services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). If the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used.
Index Montecito California National
Cost of living338143100
Goods & Services106115100
Groceries106108100
Health care86103100
Housing854197100
Transportation125136100
Utilities175144100
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Homes For Sale In Montecito, CA

property for sale

549 Hot Springs Rd

Santa Barbara, CA
property for sale

395 Woodley Rd

Santa Barbara, CA
property for sale

680 Buena Vista Dr

Santa Barbara, CA
property for sale

36 Seaview Dr

Santa Barbara, CA

Cost Of Living Quick Facts

  • The cost of living in Montecito is 136% higher than the California average
  • The cost of living in Montecito is 238% higher than the national average
  • Montecito housing is 754% higher than the national average
  • California general sales tax is 42% higher than the national average
  • California state income tax is 61% lower than the national average

Most Affordable Places to Live in and Around Montecito

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Compare Montecito, CA Cost of Living

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      Salary Calculator

      This is how much you would need to earn in
      Price difference in compared to
      Cost of living index
      Goods & Services index
      Groceries index
      Health care index
      Housing index
      Transportation index
      Utilities index

      Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

      Median Income Per Year Per Month Max Budget (28% DTI) Max Budget (36% DTI)
      Owners$283,460$23,622$6,614$8,505
      Renters$158,459$13,205$3,697$4,754
      The percentage of monthly income spent on housing related expenses can help predict the affordability of housing in Montecito, CA, as well as what the overall cost of living might be. Generally, a good rule to follow is that the debt-to-income (DTI) level you want to maintain is 28 percent or less of your income on your rent or mortgage payments and not more than 36 percent of income on all expenses and debts. In Montecito, homeowners have a median income of $283,460. Using that number, a maximum of $6,614 per month should be allocated to housing expenses. For those who are renting instead of owning, the median income is $158,459, which means there is a maximum of $3,697 to be spent on the costs of renting a home or apartment.

      California Sales Tax

      State General Sales Tax With Max Surtax
      California 7.25% 10.5%

      California Income Tax

      State Income Tax (Low) Income Tax (High)
      California 1% 13.3%

      Goods & Services

      Item Montecito National avg. Difference
      Haircut $29.67$27.627.4%
      Beauty Salon $58.73$51.1114.9%
      Toothpaste $3.97$4.093.0%
      Shampoo $1.48$1.544.0%
      Movie $12.85$12.880.2%
      Yoga $20.52$19.664.4%

      Groceries

      Item Montecito National avg. Difference
      Ground Beef $8.09$7.705.0%
      Fried Chicken $3.53$1.66112.4%
      Milk $5.06$4.736.9%
      Potatoes $4.85$5.267.7%
      Pizza $16.07$12.7625.9%
      Beer $10.55$10.550.0%

      Health Care

      Item Montecito National avg. Difference
      Optometrist $144.91$140.063.5%
      Doctor $104.66$153.8232.0%
      Dentist $114.22$123.157.3%
      Ibuprofen $11.68$11.730.4%
      Lipitor $19.05$23.6119.3%

      Housing

      Item Montecito National avg. Difference
      Home Price $3,640,995.00$326,622.001,014.7%
      Avg. Mortgage Payment $2,404.22$2,480.253.1%
      Apartment Rent $3,549.00$1,444.00145.8%

      Transportation

      Item Montecito National avg. Difference
      Gasoline $3.94$3.0628.8%
      Tire Balancing $74.52$65.2114.3%

      Utilities

      Item Montecito National avg. Difference
      All Electricity $496.89$220.12125.7%
      Phone $182.71$195.716.6%
      Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

      Nearby cities with low cost of living

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Isla Vista, CA16,12413434.2%
      Carpinteria, CA13,72618282.0%
      Goleta, CA33,19419594.5%
      Santa Barbara, CA94,185223123.0%
      Mission Canyon, CA2,752244143.8%
      Montecito, CA8,465338238.2%

      Cities with similar population

      City Population Cost of Living Index National Avg.
      Breaux Bridge, LA8,464919.4%
      Green, OR8,4631011.1%
      Pictou, Subd. C, NS8,462n/a 
      Pewaukee village, WI8,468990.9%
      Eaton, OH8,4618119.1%
      Montecito, CA8,465338238.2%
      Date & Last Updated: This data reflects 2025 and was released from C2ER in January, 2026; this is the most current data available.
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