The average price of a 7-day trip to Santa Barbara is $2,145 for a solo traveler, $3,852 for a couple, and $7,222 for a family of 4. Santa Barbara hotels range from $89 to $402 per night with an average of $187, while most vacation rentals will cost $220 to $1000 per night for the entire home. Average worldwide flight costs to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) are between $576 and $815 per person for economy flights and $1,807 to $2,557 for first class. Depending on activities, we recommend budgeting $68 to $129 per person per day for transportation and enjoying local restaurants.
See below for average, budget, and luxury trip costs. You can also look up flight costs from your airport for more tailored flight pricing.
The Cheapest Times to Visit Santa Barbara, CA, US
On average, these will be the cheapest dates to fly to SBA and stay in a Santa Barbara hotel:
- January 8th to March 4th
- April 16th to May 13th
- August 13th to November 18th (except the week of October 15th)
The absolute cheapest time to take a vacation in Santa Barbara is usually late January.
Average Santa Barbara Trip Costs
Average Solo Traveler
The average cost for one person to visit Santa Barbara for a week is $1,753-$3,179($250-$454 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $68 to $129 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $383 to $734 for economy
Lodging: $149 to $176 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $211 to $257 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Couple’s Trip
The average cost for a couple to visit Santa Barbara for a week is $2,998-$4,978($428-$711 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $136 to $258 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $766 to $1,468 for economy
Lodging: $149 to $176 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room
or $211 to $257 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Average Family Vacation
The average cost for 4 people to visit Santa Barbara for a week is $5,224-$8,864($746-$1,266 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $272 to $516 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,532 to $2,936 for economy
Lodging: $298 to $352 per night for two 2 or 3-star hotel rooms
or $317 to $386 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Traveling Cheap to Santa Barbara
How cheap can you make a vacation to Santa Barbara? The cheapest trip to Santa Barbara is about $159 per person per day for travelers willing to take standby flights, deal with inconvenience, and otherwise limit travel expenses. About 0% of rentals are available in the $0 to $100 range for an entire place, and vacation rentals can be booked for as low as $140 per night. These inexpensive rentals must be booked as early as possible and may not be in the most desirable areas. 1-star hotels are more likely to be available, with rooms starting at around $77.
Even cheaper trips are possible depending on where you live and whether you can drive. Check the cheapest times to fly for more saving ideas.
Budget Solo Traveler
The lowest cost for one person to visit Santa Barbara for a week is $1,111-$2,346($159-$335 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $38 to $76 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $383 to $734 for economy
Lodging: $77 to $89 per night for one 1-star hotel room
or $140 to $180 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Budget Couple’s Trip
The lowest cost for a couple to visit Santa Barbara for a week is $1,760-$3,612($251-$516 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $76 to $152 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $766 to $1,468 for economy
Lodging: $77 to $89 per night for one 1-star hotel room
or $140 to $180 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental
Budget Family Vacation
The lowest cost for 4 people to visit Santa Barbara for a week is $3,520-$6,684($503-$955 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $152 to $304 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,532 to $2,936 for economy
Lodging: $154 to $178 per night for two 1-star hotel rooms
or $224 to $270 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental
Overall it is very difficult to travel to Santa Barbara cheaply.
The Cost of a Luxury Santa Barbara Trip
There is no true ceiling on the cost of a luxury trip, so our estimates are based on what most people do in Santa Barbara.
Luxury Solo Traveler
The high-end price for one person to visit Santa Barbara for a week is $3,136-$14,209($448-$2,030 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $122 to $271 per day for one person’s daily expenses
Flights: $980 to $1,512 for first class
Lodging: $217 to $402 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $1,000 to $1,800 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Couple’s Trip
The high-end price for a couple to visit Santa Barbara for a week is $4,970-$17,618($710-$2,517 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $244 to $542 per day for two people’s daily expenses
Flights: $1,960 to $3,024 for first class
Lodging: $217 to $402 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room
or $1,000 to $1,800 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Luxury Family Vacation
The high-end price for 4 people to visit Santa Barbara for a week is $9,940-$29,836($1,420-$4,262 per day)
Food, Travel, and Sightseeing: $488 to $1,084 per day for four people’s daily expenses
Flights: $3,920 to $6,048 for first class
Lodging: $434 to $804 per night for two 4 or 5-star hotel rooms
or $1,600 to $2,700 per night for a preferred vacation rental
Santa Barbara Hotel Prices
The cost of staying in Santa Barbara is much higher than the average city. On average hotels are less expensive than vacation rentals. Luxury vacation rentals are more expensive in Santa Barbara due to very high property costs. The graphs below show how much cost can vary depending on the type of experience you’re looking for.
Santa Barbara Lodging Cost by Star Status
The average price for the class of hotel is on the (y) axis. The hotel class (out of 5 stars) is on the (x) axis.
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Prices are based on Santa Barbara hotel averages and may not reflect current prices. In some cases, we extrapolate prices to estimate costs, and hotels with your desired star rating may not be available.
Vacation Rental Prices
The percent of vacation rentals in the price range is on the left (y) axis. Price range is on the bottom (x) axis.
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There are a healthy amount of vacation rentals serving all budgets in Santa Barbara.
Flight Costs to Santa Barbara
Averaging flights around the world, prices go from a high of $815 average in late July to a low of $576 in late January. Median flight price is $527. These prices are based on millions of flights. For Santa Barbara our data includes 291 originating airports, and 81 airlines. The area has average variance in price compared with other locations. Flying to Santa Barbara from an airport like Shevchenko (SCO) in Aktau (Kazakhstan) for an average $6,991 trip fare will obviously cost a lot more than from an airport like Salt Lake City International (SLC) in Salt Lake City, UT (the United States) at an average of just $189.
Average Flight Cost by Season
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Average Flight Cost by Day of Week
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The cheapest day to fly in is typically Tuesday, and the cheapest day to fly back is usually Tuesday. Click here to see data for the cost of flights from your airport. In Santa Barbara, the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive week is about $240, so you can easily save about 42% simply by using our free flight guides and booking in advance.
Daily Expenses Budget
Daily vacation expenses vary more based on what you’re interested in doing. A fine dining restaurant with drinks around Santa Barbara can easily cost $570 per person or more, while a standard nice meal might be about $38 per person. Private tours can cost $1141 per day, but self-guided tours to see the outdoor sights can be free. Costs vary wildly, so recommendations are made based on the cost of living and averages we see for this type of vacation.