Santa Barbara per diem ratesCalifornia · FY 2027
Santa Barbara’s full-year average lodging cap, $225 a night, is the 18th highest of the 295 non-standard areas, between Nashville (TN) and Naples (FL). Santa Barbara’s July to August peak of $277 a night is the 24th highest monthly cap in the continental U.S., between Sedona (AZ) and Fort Walton Beach / De Funiak Springs (FL). Meals and incidentals are paid at the top tier, which 33 areas share.
Santa Barbara among the 295
Santa Barbara’s full-year average lodging cap ranks fourth of the 32 California areas, between Napa ($242) and Sunnyvale / Palo Alto / San Jose ($218). California, area by area.
| Months | Cap | Nights |
|---|---|---|
| October to June | $214 | 273 |
| July to August | $277 | 62 |
| September | $214 | 30 |
Four days in July
Monday, July 5, 2027, to Thursday: up to $1,153, three nights at the July cap plus $322 M&IE. Starting October 5 instead, in a low month, the same trip comes to $964.
Weighted by days, the cap sits 98.8% above the standard rate over the year.
Santa Barbara since FY 2021
Since FY 2021 Santa Barbara’s full-year average has grown 21%; ranked by that growth, Santa Barbara sits between Phoenix / Scottsdale (AZ) and Cortez (CO). Against FY 2026, Santa Barbara’s full-year average rose 4.7%, between Pittsfield (MA) and Truckee (CA) among year-on-year changes. In FY 2021 Santa Barbara ranked 22nd of 293 by full-year average, between Oakland (CA) and Monterey (CA). Along the way: up 22.1% in FY 2023, flat in FY 2024, down 5.3% in FY 2025.