Most of Monterey is in Monterey County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $72.07 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 4 ZIP codes in Monterey with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,970 to $2,430 a month. At the middle rent, $2,270, a full-time job would need to pay $84.19 an hour before taxes.
What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.
| ZIP | County | Studio rent | Pay needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93940 | Monterey County | $2,340/mo | $87.22/hr |
| 93942 | Monterey County | $1,970/mo | $71.21/hr |
| 93943 | Monterey County | $2,200/mo | $81.16/hr |
| 93944 | Monterey County | $2,430/mo | $91.12/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Monterey needs to pay at least $72.07 an hour before taxes, about $149,909 a year. That is the figure for Monterey County, where the typical studio rent is $1,990 a month.
Yes. Across the 4 ZIP codes in Monterey with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,970 to $2,430 a month. At the middle rent of $2,270, the pay needed would be $84.19 an hour.
The minimum wage in Monterey County is $16.90 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 4.3 times that.
The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads