Santa Barbara, CA per diem rates
Official FY2026 GSA per diem for Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara County), California. Lodging is capped at $205.00–$262.00 per night depending on the season, and meals & incidentals are $92.00 per day ($69.00 on your first and last travel day).
Santa Barbara rate table
| Months | Lodging (per night) |
|---|---|
| Jan–Jun | $205.00 |
| Jul–Aug | $262.00 |
| Sep–Dec | $205.00 |
| M&IE (per day) | $92.00 · $69.00 first/last day |
Lodging changes by month here — the calculator uses the right rate for each night of your trip.
Calculate a trip to Santa Barbara
Pick your travel dates to see the itemised per diem.
Saved trips
Save a calculated trip and it'll stay here on this device — handy for recurring routes and expense reports.
Other California per diem rates
About Santa Barbara per diem
Santa Barbara's FY2026 lodging cap is $152.00 above the $110.00 standard CONUS rate that applies to most of the country, and its $92.00 M&IE rate is $24.00 above the $68.00 standard. GSA sets non-standard rates like this one after surveying actual lodging costs in the area, rather than applying a single nationwide figure — see how the standard rate compares to listed cities for the full mechanics.
Lodging here isn't flat year-round: the cap runs highest at $262.00 a night in July, August, and falls to $205.00 a night in January, February, March, April, May, June, September, October, November, December. A trip that starts in a peak month and ends in a low month is billed at each night's own rate, which is exactly what the calculator above does automatically — see our guide to how lodging rates change by season. On your first and last travel day, M&IE drops to $69.00 under the 75% first/last-day rule — full days in between are paid at the full $92.00.
Frequently asked questions
What is the per diem rate for Santa Barbara, CA?
For FY2026, Santa Barbara has a GSA lodging rate of $205.00–$262.00 depending on the month per night and a meals & incidentals rate of $92.00 per day ($69.00 on the first and last travel day).
Does the Santa Barbara per diem rate change by season?
Yes. The lodging cap peaks at $262.00 a night in July, August, and drops to $205.00 a night in January, February, March, April, May, June, September, October, November, December. Book against the rate for your actual travel month, not the yearly figure.
How does Santa Barbara compare to the standard CONUS per diem rate?
The standard rate that applies to most of the US is $110.00 lodging + $68.00 M&IE. Santa Barbara's peak lodging cap is $152.00 higher than standard, and its M&IE rate is $24.00 higher than standard — reflecting GSA's local cost-of-travel survey for this destination.
Rates from the GSA FY2026 dataset. PerDiemWise is an independent tool, not affiliated with the GSA.