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Average Rent in Santa Monica, CA & Rent Trends

What is the average 2-bedroom rent in Santa Monica, CA?

The average listed 2-bedroom apartment rent in Santa Monica, CA is $5,187 per month, as of October 20, 2026. This sample includes 25 priced apartments in 8 buildings. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

We use published total monthly rent when known and base rent otherwise. Unknown fees remain unknown. Included building observations run from October 16, 2026 through October 20, 2026. Buildings without a qualifying price do not count in this sample. The guide directory can include more buildings.

Rent prices and market trends across 8 apartment communities in Santa Monica, CA. Prices update after successful source checks.

Area All Areas Brentwood Culver - West Downtown Pico Rancho Park Sunset Park Westwood
Beds All Bedrooms Studio 1 Bed 2 Bed 3 Bed 4 Bed 5 Bed

Showing 2 bedrooms in Santa Monica, CA.

Market Average

$5,187/mo

Lowest Available

$3,834/mo

cheapest unit on market

Communities

8

tracked daily

Units Listed

25

available now

Rent Watch: cuts and increases

Open Rent Watch →

0 cuts and 0 increases among 2 comparable listings this week. Filter by bedrooms and budget, then inspect each building’s history.

Rent by Neighborhood in Santa Monica, CA

Compare average rent across Santa Monica, CA neighborhoods. Click any area to see detailed trends. View these neighborhoods on the rent map

Neighborhood Avg Rent 30d Change From Properties Units
Westwood $6,404 - $6,392 1 2
Downtown $5,234 - $3,834 2 6
Rancho Park $5,194 - $5,121 1 6
Sunset Park $5,036 - $4,681 1 5
Culver - West $4,934 - $4,934 1 1
Pico $4,839 - $4,465 2 5

Is Rent Going Up or Down in Santa Monica, CA?

As of October 2026, the average rent in Santa Monica, CA is $5,187 per month across 8 apartment communities and 25 available units.

The most affordable option is Living at Santa Monica starting at $3,834/mo. By unit type, a 2-bedroom averages $5,187/mo.

Prices range from $3,834 to $6,499 per month. The most common price point is the $4,800 range, where 5 units are currently listed.

Santa Monica, CA Rent Price History

Timeframe
View as table
Month Avg Rent Change Properties
August 2026 $5,058 - 5
September 2026 $4,980 -$78 6
October 2026 $4,967 -$13 7

The trend line and monthly averages track each building's average listed price, recorded daily with outliers trimmed. The current month is a month-to-date figure, so it can sit above or below today's live market average shown at the top of this page.

Rent Price Distribution

Rent by Bedroom Type in Santa Monica, CA

2 Bed
$5,187
from $3,834 · 25 units

Rent Prices by Apartment in Santa Monica, CA

Property Starting at Average Units Rating
Living at Santa Monica $3,834/mo $3,905/mo 2 3.5
The Charlie Santa Monica $4,465/mo $4,483/mo 2 4.2
Catherine Santa Monica $4,494/mo $5,077/mo 3 4.1
Avalon Santa Monica on Main $4,681/mo $5,036/mo 5 4.6
Willow Santa Monica $4,899/mo $5,899/mo 4 4.7
The Charlie Mar Vista $4,934/mo $4,934/mo 1 4.7
Residences at West Edge $5,121/mo $5,194/mo 6 4.1

Frequently Asked Questions About Rent in Santa Monica, CA

How many bedrooms are you looking for?

How many bedrooms are you looking for?

Scroll or tap to choose.
2 bedrooms

What is the average 2-bedroom rent in Santa Monica, CA?
The average listed 2-bedroom apartment rent in Santa Monica, CA is $5,187 per month, as of October 20, 2026. This sample includes 25 priced apartments in 8 buildings. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

What rent range can I find in Santa Monica, CA?
The 2-bedroom apartment listings we track in Santa Monica, CA range from $3,834 to $6,499 per month, as of October 20, 2026. These are the lowest and highest listed prices. They are not a typical price for every apartment. The building, floor plan, and lease terms can affect the price.

Are rents going up or down in Santa Monica, CA?
There is not enough comparable history to report a reliable 30-day rent change for 2-bedroom apartment listings in Santa Monica, CA. Missing dates or a change in the buildings we track can prevent a comparison. The chart uses recorded prices for 2-bedroom apartments with a known unit identity. It averages those prices within each building before comparing buildings. Missing history does not mean rents stayed flat.

How much is a 2-bedroom apartment in Santa Monica, CA?
2-bedroom apartments average $5,187 per month across 25 priced listings in Santa Monica, CA. Listed rents range from $3,834 to $6,499 per month, as of October 20, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

Which tracked building has the lowest starting rent in Santa Monica, CA?
Living at Santa Monica has the lowest starting rent among the buildings in the comparison table, at $3,834 per month. We track 2 priced listings matching your bedroom choice in that building, as of October 20, 2026. The starting price applies to its lowest-priced matching apartment. Check that apartment's latest price and availability.

Which rent range has the most listings in Santa Monica, CA?
The $4,800 to $5,000 monthly range has the most matching listings: 5 units, or 20.0% of the priced apartments we track in Santa Monica, CA. This count does not tell us how fast the apartments rent.

How many apartment listings do you track in Santa Monica, CA?
We track 25 priced units at 8 apartment buildings, as of October 20, 2026. These are 2-bedroom apartments. This is not the total number of apartments in those buildings. A listing can change or become unavailable. Open the apartment details to check its latest status.

How much rent history is available for Santa Monica, CA?
We have recorded rent data on 24 days from August 2026 through October 2026 for 2-bedroom apartment listings in Santa Monica, CA. Some dates can be missing. The chart only shows recorded data. The current month includes the days recorded so far.

Why can the headline rent differ from the trend chart in Santa Monica, CA?
The average at the top of the page gives each matching apartment equal weight. The chart first averages recorded prices within each building, then compares buildings. It removes the highest and lowest groups when at least ten buildings contribute and omits days with fewer than five buildings. Different dates, building counts, and listing mixes can produce different figures. The monthly table averages the recorded daily figures.

Does my bedroom choice change the prices and answers?
Yes. Your chosen area and bedroom count filter the asking rents, listing counts, rent ranges, and answers on this page. The active community exclusions are Student housing and 55+ community. When you choose a bedroom count, the history chart uses recorded prices for matching apartments with a known identity. If those records are missing, we leave the chart empty rather than use prices for other bedroom types. Open an individual apartment to check its own price history.

Do these rents include utilities, parking, and other fees?
We use the published total monthly rent when it is available and the base rent otherwise. Unknown fees are not zero. Utilities, parking, pet charges, deposits, and one-time costs can add to the amount you pay. Check the selected unit and lease terms for a complete quote.

How should I compare free-rent offers with listed rent?
A free-rent offer can reduce the effective cost over a lease without changing the listed monthly rent. Compare the same lease length and move-in date, then include required charges and the offer conditions. The market averages do not assume an unconfirmed discount.

Does this page represent every rental in the market?
These figures describe the priced apartment listings we track, not every rental home or every occupied apartment. Coverage and the mix of bedrooms, buildings, and locations can change. A lower market average does not prove that the same apartment received a price cut.

How fresh are the Santa Monica, CA rent figures?
We schedule rent updates each day, but buildings can have different price-check dates. The latest accepted price check for these listings was October 20, 2026. The month label does not mean we checked every price today. Open the building or apartment details for its latest price and availability.

What salary do I need to live comfortably in Santa Monica, CA?

Built on the 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.

Minimum to afford average rent

$207,000/year

Based on the 30 percent rule, using our tracked average rent of $5,187/mo.

Comfortable income

$249,000/year

Based on the 25 percent rule, leaving more room for savings, transport, and groceries.

To afford the cheapest tracked apartment ($3,834/mo), you need to earn at least $153,000/year.

Median household income in Santa Monica, CA is $109,739 , about 56% below the comfortable-living threshold.

Explore Santa Monica, CA Apartments

Browse all 8 communities with daily-updated pricing and availability.

Browse All Apartments Find Your Match

Cost of living in Santa Monica, CA

Overall prices in Santa Monica, CA runs above the national average by about 15% (BEA Regional Price Parity index 114.7, where 100 equals the U.S. average). The breakdown below estimates monthly costs for a single adult, using national consumer-spending baselines from the Bureau of Labor Statistics scaled by Santa Monica, CA's regional price parities.

Category Monthly estimate
Rent (market average) $5,187
Utilities $744
Groceries $578
Transportation $1,773
Healthcare $865
Other goods and services $1,384
Estimated total $10,531/mo

Population

91,535

Median household income

$109,739

Census median rent

$2,338/mo

Census rent burden

28.3%

Median age

42.9

Mean commute

26 min

Methodology

Rent data

We use listed asking rents and schedule daily data updates. Individual buildings can have different verification dates. Check the building or unit page for its latest price and availability.

Cost of living

Estimates combine national consumer-spending baselines from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Survey) with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP dataset). Both are peer-reviewed federal data releases published annually.

Salary to live comfortably

We estimate annual income by dividing annual rent by 30 percent for the affordability figure and 25 percent for the comfortable-income figure. These estimates are a guide, not a guarantee of rental approval.

Demographic figures

Median household income, population, median age, commute time, Census median rent, and rent as percentage of income come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the most recent complete release.

Cost of living and demographic figures were last published in 2023.
California Rent Trends
Compare rent across all California cities
Santa Monica, CA Neighborhood Rent Map
See rent history by neighborhood on a map
Explore Santa Monica, CA on Map
See neighborhoods and rent data interactively
US-wide rent comparison
See how Santa Monica, CA rents stack up against the national median

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