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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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San Luis Obispo skyline
AlmanacHobbyist. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License
Santa Maria skyline
Zairon. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License

San Luis Obispo vs Santa Maria

$337/mo less in Santa Maria

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

San Luis ObispoSanta MariaAbout 63 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Santa Maria costs you more
  • Rent over 30% of pay
  • 263 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $751/mo in Santa Maria. $1,088/mo in San Luis Obispo. −$4,044 a year.

San Luis Obispo

$1,088

left each month

Santa Maria

$751

−$337 vs San Luis Obispo

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Santa Maria wins 1 of 4San Luis Obispo 3 · ties 0
$5,227Take-home · San Luis Obispo$5,189
$2,013Rent · San Luis Obispo$2,323
$2,126Other bills · Santa Maria$2,115
$1,088Left over · San Luis Obispo$751

Next

In 2022-2023, 722 households moved San Luis Obispo → Santa Maria (avg AGI $72,150). 840 went the other way. The whole move →

−$337 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthSan Luis ObispoSanta Maria
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Santa Maria · this breakdownSan Luis Obispo · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between San Luis Obispo, CA and Santa Maria, CA
Per monthSan Luis ObispoSanta MariaDifference
Gross pay$6,875$6,813−$62
Income and payroll tax$1,648$1,624−$24
Take-home pay$5,227$5,189−$38
Rent$2,013$2,323+$310
Getting around$556$544−$12
Groceries$433$433$0
Healthcare$487$487$0
Utilities$271$271$0
Everything else$379$379$0
Left over$1,088$751−$337

Salary to match San Luis Obispo

$88,500

Gross pay in Santa Maria that leaves the same amount as $82,500 in San Luis Obispo.

Tax difference

+$69

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 24.0% in San Luis Obispo, 23.8% in Santa Maria.

More about Santa Maria

San Luis Obispo, CA in full

State income tax topping out at 12.3%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $2,396 and 263 sunny days; commutes average 21 minutes.

Santa Maria, CA in full

State income tax topping out at 12.3%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $2,765 and 263 sunny days; commutes average 21 minutes.

The other way

Start in Santa Maria.

Santa Maria → San Luis Obispo →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Santa Maria than San Luis Obispo?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Santa Maria leaves about $337 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $2,013 in San Luis Obispo and $2,323 in Santa Maria.

Does Santa Maria have state income tax?

Santa Maria is in California, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from San Luis Obispo to Santa Maria?

The paycheck is taxed in California. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.

Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.

Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.