Beaumont vs Santa Barbara
Cost of Living Comparison · 2026
Beaumont
Santa Barbara
The Verdict
Beaumont is 58.9% less expensive than Santa Barbara overall. A household earning $75,000 in Beaumont would need approximately $182,692 in Santa Barbara to maintain the same standard of living.
Category-by-Category Breakdown
Index values · National average = 100 · Lower is more affordable
Salary Equivalence
A $75,000 salary in Beaumont has the same purchasing power as $182,692 in Santa Barbara.
Conversely, $75,000 in Santa Barbara equals $30,789 in Beaumont.
Living in Beaumont vs Santa Barbara
Housing Costs
Beaumont's housing index of 81 is lower Santa Barbara's 340, translating to median home prices of $166,000 vs $1.2M. The $1.0M difference in home prices means roughly $67,212 per year in additional mortgage costs at current rates. Renters face a similar gap: $1,000/mo in Beaumont compared to $3,000/mo in Santa Barbara, a monthly difference of $2,000.
Grocery & Food Costs
Grocery expenses index at 96 in Beaumont and 112 in Santa Barbara. A household spending the national average of $475/month on groceries would pay approximately $456/month in Beaumont vs $532/month in Santa Barbara. Beaumont offers a meaningful advantage on everyday food costs, saving roughly $912/year.
Utility Expenses
Utility costs — electricity, gas, water, internet — index at 102 in Beaumont and 117 in Santa Barbara. Monthly utility bills average approximately $408 in Beaumont vs $468 in Santa Barbara. Climate differences between the two cities drive much of this gap, with heating and cooling costs varying substantially by region.
Healthcare
Healthcare costs index at 104 in Beaumont and 110 in Santa Barbara. This encompasses insurance premiums, doctor visit copays, dental care, and prescription costs. Healthcare costs are relatively similar between these two cities, though individual plan costs can still vary.
Income & Purchasing Power
Median household income is $57,000 in Beaumont and $70,819 in Santa Barbara. After adjusting for local costs, purchasing-power-equivalent incomes are approximately $73,077 and $37,273 respectively. Beaumont residents enjoy stronger real purchasing power despite lower nominal wages.
Relocation Considerations
Under the standard 28% rule, a median-income household can allocate $1,330/month to housing in Beaumont vs $1,652/month in Santa Barbara. In Beaumont, median rent of $1,000/mo fits within this budget. In Santa Barbara, median rent of $3,000/mo pushes past the recommended limit. The biggest category-level difference between these two cities is Housing, where the gap is 259 index points — focus your budget analysis there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Moving & Relocation Resources
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases