San Luis Obispo

Cost of Living in San Luis Obispo, CA (2026)

$1,188 left/mo

Photo: AlmanacHobbyist / Wikimedia

$4,139/mo in San Luis Obispo. $1,188 left each month. Prices near the US average.

Pick a home city How we figure this

Monthly costs

Take-home $5,327/mo.

Taxes$1,651
Rent$2,013
Other$2,126
Left$1,188

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $83,730
Federal income tax: −$9,591
Social Security and Medicare: −$6,405
State income tax (CA): −$3,814
Take-home pay: $63,920
Effective tax rate: 23.7%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $2,013
Groceries: $433
Getting around: $556
Healthcare: $487
Utilities and internet: $271
Everything else: $379
Total spending: $4,139

After tax and rent

$1,188 left/mo

Stats

Rent: $2,396; 2 bd median
Take-home: $5,327; Per month
Tax: 24%; Of pay
Prices: 8% above; US, besides rent

Average electric bill in California

About $282 a month for a household using 900 kWh. That is the EIA residential price for California in 2025, 31.35¢ per kWh. It is a state average, not a San Luis Obispo utility bill, and the utilities line in the monthly costs above already includes a modelled power cost.

Moving from San Luis Obispo

Moving from San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles