Bedroom count
Property type
Last updated on May 23, 2026
Average rent in
San Luis Obispo, CA
Average rent in
Last updated on May 23, 2026
Bedroom count
Property type
Key takeaways for renters
Where San Luis Obispo rent stands today
San Luis Obispo, CA rent rose 9.1% year over year, with a current median of $3,000/month. Renters are paying $272 more per month than last year, though rent remains 3.1% below the peak of $3,200/month reached two months ago. The market offers 211 total rentals.
Vs. national rents
San Luis Obispo runs roughly 1.5× the $1,949/month national median, placing it among pricier California metros. This positioning reflects the city's higher cost relative to the national market.
Rent ranges by bedroom
Studios rent for $1,800/month, 1-bedrooms for $2,200/month, and 2-bedrooms for $2,950/month. Larger units reach $6,000/month for 4+ bedrooms, with the 4+ bedroom segment showing a 10.1% year-over-year decline, diverging from the citywide trend.
Neighborhood spotlight
Studio rents in San Luis Obispo fell 10.6% year over year, contrasting with the overall city increase. The 4+ bedroom segment also declined by 10.1%, showing variation within the city's rental market.
Median rent
Median rent in San Luis Obispo
$3,000/mo
9%vs previous year
The average rent in San Luis Obispo is $3,000 per month as of May 2026. This is 54% above the national average rent, or $1,051 more per month.
average price per square foot
Total rentals
Available rentals in San Luis Obispo
211
for rent on Zumper.com as of May 2026
Rent price distribution
Share of San Luis Obispo rentals at each price point
Rent trends in San Luis Obispo, CA
Average rent prices in San Luis Obispo have increased by 3% over the last month and have increased by 9% since last year.
Rent trends
Rent prices on this page are calculated on a rolling 30-day basis and updated daily.
Compare rent prices in
San Luis Obispo, CA
Rent prices in San Luis Obispo vary by bedroom size, rental type, and neighborhood. The average rent for an apartment in San Luis Obispo is $2,500, whereas a house costs $4,600. 1-bedroom apartments in San Luis Obispo run $2,200 on average, while 2-bedroom apartments are $2,650.
Listings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Studio | $1,800 | 4% |  18% | |
1 bedroom | $2,200 | No Change | 2% | |
2 bedroom | $2,950 | No Change | 1% | |
3 bedroom | $4,200 | 1% | 4% | |
4 bedroom | $6,000 | 13% | 7% |
At this time, we don't have enough active inventory for all rentals to generate data. Please check back soon to see neighborhood rent prices in San Luis Obispo, CA.
Listings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Apartments | $2,500 | 3% | No Change | |
Condos | $3,200 | 4% | No Change | |
Houses | $4,600 | 7% | No Change | |
Rooms | $1,175 | 4% | - |
Studio
Average rent
$1,800
Last 30 days
4%
Last year
18%
1 bedroom
Average rent
$2,200
Last 30 days
No Change
Last year
2%
2 bedroom
Average rent
$2,950
Last 30 days
No Change
Last year
1%
3 bedroom
Average rent
$4,200
Last 30 days
1%
Last year
4%
4 bedroom
Average rent
$6,000
Last 30 days
13%
Last year
7%
At this time, we don't have enough active inventory for all rentals to generate data. Please check back soon to see neighborhood rent prices in San Luis Obispo, CA.
Apartments
Average rent
$2,500
Last 30 days
3%
Condos
Average rent
$3,200
Last 30 days
4%
Houses
Average rent
$4,600
Last 30 days
7%
Rooms
Average rent
$1,175
Last 30 days
4%
The table above reflects average rent prices in San Luis Obispo, CA, broken down by the number of bedrooms, neighborhoods, and property types. The availability of data for each category is dependent on market inventory and will adjust depending on your selected filters.
How does rent in San Luis Obispo, CA compare to other cities?
Compare median rent prices in San Luis Obispo and Arroyo Grande by all bedroom counts and property types.
San Luis Obispo
54%higher than the national median
49%higher than the national median
Takeaway
The median rent for all rentals in San Luis Obispo, CA is 3% higher than the median rent in Arroyo Grande, CA.
Average rent in nearby cities
Explore rent trends in neighboring markets
$2,900
8%$2,250
4%$3,752
17%$2,612
4%$2,147
4%$2,400
21%$2,195
45%$2,950
23%$2,250
15%$3,100
18%$3,750
20%$2,370
5%Discover rentals in San Luis Obispo, CA
3d ago
1050 E Foothill Blvd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
1 bed
1 bath
$579–$949
Apartment for rent
1d ago
Apartment for rent in San Luis Obispo
871 Buchon St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
1 bed
1 bath
$950
Apartment for rent
1d ago
1814 Osos St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
1 bed
2 baths
$1,100
Apartment for rent
1d ago
740 W Foothill Blvd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
1 bed
0 baths
$1,200
Apartment for rent
5d+ ago
House for rent in San Luis Obispo
5 beds
3 baths
$12,500
House for rent
5d+ ago
House for rent in San Luis Obispo
152 Cuesta Dr, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
5 beds
3 baths
$10,000
House for rent
Available May 1
5d+ ago
Apartment for rent in San Luis Obispo
4 beds
2 baths
$9,200
Apartment for rent
5d+ ago
House for rent in San Luis Obispo
191 Kentucky St #NA, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
3 beds
3 baths
$7,700
House for rent
Available Aug 1
1d ago
1314 Palm St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
1 bed
1 bath
$2,600
Apartment for rent
3d ago
1290 Murray Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
1 bed
1 bath
$2,200
Apartment for rent
5d+ ago
House for rent in San Luis Obispo
3 beds
3 baths
$4,250
House for rent
8h ago
648 Felton Way, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
1 bed
1 bath
$2,200
Apartment for rent
2d ago
Verified
889 Casitas Ct #NA, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
4 beds
3 baths
$5,500
$4,900
Price drop
House for rent
Available Jul 1
5d+ ago
Verified
1559 Royal Way #NA, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
4 beds
2 baths
$5,000
$4,900
Price drop
House for rent
Available Jul 2
4d ago
500 E Foothill Blvd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
1 bed
1 bath
$1,800–$2,175
Price drop
Apartment for rent
2d ago
738 Grand Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
1–2 beds
1 bath
$2,100–$3,000
Apartment for rent
5h ago
730 High St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Studio
1 bath
$1,875
Apartment for rent
3d ago
66 Chorro St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
1 bed
1 bath
$1,850
Apartment for rent
4d ago
House for rent in San Luis Obispo
5 beds
3 baths
$6,500
$6,000
Price drop
House for rent
4d ago
500 E Foothill Blvd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
1 bed
1 bath
$1,800–$2,175
Price drop
Apartment for rent
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Frequently asked questions for San Luis Obispo, CA
Quick answers to common questions about the San Luis Obispo rental market.
How much is rent in San Luis Obispo?
The average rent in San Luis Obispo is $3,000 per month as of May 16, 2026.
Is rent up or down in San Luis Obispo?
Average rent prices in San Luis Obispo have increased by 3% over the last month and have increased by 9% since last year.
How does San Luis Obispo rent compare to the national average?
Rent in San Luis Obispo is 54% above the national average, which means renters are paying approximately $1,051 more per month.
What salary do I need to afford rent in San Luis Obispo?
To comfortably afford rent in San Luis Obispo, you'd need to earn approximately $120,000/year, based on spending no more than 30% of your income on rent.
When is the best time of year to rent in San Luis Obispo?
San Luis Obispo one-bedroom apartments averaged around $2,000 per month in 2025, while two-bedroom units averaged around $2,800 per month. These figures reflect current market conditions following recent rent adjustments across different apartment sizes.
Methodology
Rent prices are based on Zumper's rental listings from the past 30 days. Median rent is calculated across all available listings and property types on the platform. If you filter the page by bedroom count or property type, the pricing throughout the page will update automatically to reflect that segment of the rental market.
Household and population data come from the U.S. Census Bureau. Cost-of-living data is sourced from the Council for Community and Economic Research's Cost of Living Index (COLI).