2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Santa Barbara, CA vs Laguna Beach, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Laguna Beach or is it cheaper to live in Santa Barbara?
- Laguna Beach is 6.6% more expensive than Santa Barbara.

Which city has more affordable housing, Laguna Beach or Santa Barbara?
- Laguna Beach housing costs are 84.0% more expensive than Santa Barbara housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Santa Barbara or is Health Care more affordable in Laguna Beach.
- Health related expenses are 17.5% less in Laguna Beach.
 Santa Barbara, CALaguna Beach, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock164.9100
 Food & Groceries113.8  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock93.4100
 Housing476.7  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$2,741,100$338,100
 Utilities90  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock113.9100
 Miscellaneous142.5  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Santa Barbara    51 Reviews

I moved to Santa Barbara around 23 years ago to study at Brooks, which like most of the Santa Barbara that I knew—has been destroyed. Homelessness, drugs, gangs, high  More

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Over 4 years ago

I fell in love with Santa Barbara about thirty years ago and finally moved here a few years ago. Because of the price of homes, it is an expensive place to live. The  More

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If you like high crime, paying a $4,500 a month mortgage and crazy high taxes, this is the place for you. It’s too bad because it wasn’t always like this. When I moved  More

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Reviews for Laguna Beach    3 Reviews

Over 13 years ago

... always great to go home to. But i don't live there now, haven't for 10 years. Beautiful as it is, if you've got wanderlust you're always somewhere else. Avoid  More

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Over 16 years ago

Mediterranean climate, one of the best in the  More

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Laguna Beach is peaceful and beautiful. If you have the money for housing you will enjoy living here. However, during the seasonal Pageant of the Masters and Summer Art  More

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