Bedroom count
Property type
Last updated on July 7, 2026
Average rent in
San Luis Obispo, CA
Average rent in
Last updated on July 7, 2026
Bedroom count
Property type
Key takeaways for renters
The bottom line
San Luis Obispo, CA rent rose 5.1% year over year, with a current median of $2,798/month. Renters are paying $181 more per month on average than last year, though rent has eased 1.7% month over month after peaking at $3,200 in March 2026.
Compared to national trends
San Luis Obispo runs 43.5% more expensive than the $1,950/month national median, placing it among pricier California metros with a relatively small total rental inventory of 179 units.
Price ranges
Studios and 1-bedrooms in San Luis Obispo are close in price at around $1,975 to $1,988/month, while 2-bedrooms rise to $2,750/month. Larger units and houses reach higher medians, with 4+ bedrooms at $5,000/month and houses at $4,200/month, covering a broad spectrum of rental costs.
Median rent
Median rent in San Luis Obispo
$2,797/mo
5%vs previous year
The average rent in San Luis Obispo is $2,797 per month as of July 2026. This is 43% above the national average rent, or $847 more per month.
average price per square foot
Total rentals
Available rentals in San Luis Obispo
179
for rent on Zumper.com as of July 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 decreased by 2% over the last month and have increased by 5% 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 $2,395, whereas a house costs $4,200. 1-bedroom apartments in San Luis Obispo run $1,995 on average, while 2-bedroom apartments are $2,600.
Listings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Studio | $1,987 | 2% | 1% | |
1 bedroom | $1,975 |  1% | 5% | |
2 bedroom | $2,750 | 3% | 5% | |
3 bedroom | $3,997 | 2% | No Change | |
4 bedroom | $5,000 | 6% | 2% |
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 | $2,395 | 1% | No Change | |
Condos | $2,950 | 5% | No Change | |
Houses | $4,200 | 1% | No Change | |
Rooms | $1,350 | No Change | - |
Studio
Average rent
$1,987
Last 30 days
2%
Last year
1%
1 bedroom
Average rent
$1,975
Last 30 days
1%
Last year
5%
2 bedroom
Average rent
$2,750
Last 30 days
3%
Last year
5%
3 bedroom
Average rent
$3,997
Last 30 days
2%
Last year
No Change
4 bedroom
Average rent
$5,000
Last 30 days
6%
Last year
2%
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
$2,395
Last 30 days
1%
Condos
Average rent
$2,950
Last 30 days
5%
Houses
Average rent
$4,200
Last 30 days
1%
Rooms
Average rent
$1,350
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
43%higher than the national median
44%higher than the national median
Takeaway
The median rent for all rentals in San Luis Obispo, CA is 1% lower than the median rent in Arroyo Grande, CA.
Average rent in nearby cities
Explore rent trends in neighboring markets
$2,812
2%$2,300
4%$3,650
13%$2,400
8%$2,200
6%$2,325
21%$2,662
36%$2,400
2%$2,250
3%$2,750
31%$3,946
14%$2,322
7%Discover rentals in San Luis Obispo, CA
16h ago
1050 E Foothill Blvd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
1–2 beds
1 bath
$599–$999
Apartment for rent
3d ago
740 W Foothill Blvd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
1 bed
0 baths
$900
Apartment for rent
5d+ ago
Apartment for rent in San Luis Obispo
871 Buchon St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
1 bed
1 bath
$950
Apartment for rent
4d ago
1814 Osos St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
1 bed
2 baths
$1,100
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
Apartment for rent in San Luis Obispo
3 beds
2 baths
$6,000
Apartment for rent
1h ago
1622 Palm St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
2 beds
2 baths
$2,995
Apartment for rent
14h ago
835 Madonna Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
Studio
1 bath
$2,050–$2,075
Apartment for rent
4d ago
1314 Palm St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
1 bed
1 bath
$2,600
Apartment for rent
4d ago
3110 Duncan Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Studio
1 bath
$2,195
Apartment for rent
5d+ ago
Verified
1347 Madonna Rd #NA, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
3 beds
2 baths
$4,500
House for rent
Available Aug 1
5d+ ago
Verified
889 Casitas Ct #NA, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
4 beds
3 baths
$4,900
House for rent
Available Jul 1
1d ago
1127 Walnut St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
3 beds
3 baths
$3,850
Apartment for rent
15h ago
Woodside Dr, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
1 bed
1 bath
$1,850
Apartment for rent
1d ago
522 Dana St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
3 beds
2 baths
$3,995
Price drop
Apartment for rent
5d+ ago
176 Stenner St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
Studio
1 bath
$1,755–$1,775
Apartment for rent
5d+ ago
Apartment for rent in San Luis Obispo
274 Hathway Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
5 beds
3 baths
$7,949
$6,949
Price drop
Apartment for rent
16h ago
House for rent in San Luis Obispo
4 beds
3.5 baths
$5,500
$5,400
Price drop
House for rent
Available Jul 28
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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 $2,797 per month as of July 4, 2026.
Is rent up or down in San Luis Obispo?
Average rent prices in San Luis Obispo have decreased by 2% over the last month and have increased by 5% since last year.
How does San Luis Obispo rent compare to the national average?
Rent in San Luis Obispo is 43% above the national average, which means renters are paying approximately $847 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 $112,000/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).