Apartments for Rent in Santa Monica, CA

Prices and availability in Santa Monica, CA were last updated on 19 May 2026.

The best apartments in Santa Monica, CA are: Pico Apartments, Euclid St Apartments, Santa Monica Shores, 1115 SM Apartments and Santa Monica St. Charles.

The average rent in Santa Monica, CA is $4,012.

The price range for a studio apartment in Santa Monica, CA is between $1,910 and $5,330.

The price range for a 1-bedroom apartment in Santa Monica, CA is between $1,338 and $7,000.

The price range for a 2-bedroom apartment in Santa Monica, CA is between $1,950 and $9,995.

The price range for a 3-bedroom apartment in Santa Monica, CA is between $2,549 and $13,518.

In Santa Monica 72% of the housing is rented out compared to 28% of homes are owned, according to the most recent Census Bureau estimates. 15% of Santa Monica's apartments are found in large buildings of 50 units or more, 77% are located in smaller apartment complexes with less than 50 units, and 8% are single-family rentals.

The average age of rental buildings in Santa Monica is 29 years old, with 58% being newer apartment buildings completed since 2000. The average height of apartment buildings in the city is 7 stories, of which 44% are garden-style apartment communities, 60% are mid-sized buildings, and 16% are high-rises. These characteristics describe large-scale apartment communities of 50 apartments or more.

Rental apartments in Santa Monica come in a range of sizes and floorplans. Studio apartments represent 15% of units for rent, ideal for singles, renters on a budget and people who value central locations more than space. Rentals with 1-bedroom floorplans make up 43% of the total apartments in the city, while 2-bedroom floorplans represent around 16% of all rentals in Santa Monica. The rest are larger floorplans with 3 bedrooms or more, typically preferred by families, larger households or roommates sharing space.