More specifically, an apartment that was by the beach in 1977 (the year that Three's Company (https://www.reddit.com/r/threescompany/) first went on the air) dollars and within a "realistic" context? When I forward this question (https://www.datalounge.com/thread/36393153-things-on-a-television-show-that-are-never-explained) on Google, this is the response (https://www.google.com/search?q=How+much+would+it+have+cost+to+rent+an+apartment+near+the+beach+in+Santa+Monica+in+1977%3F&sca_esv=15ff0100134ea361&sxsrf=ANbL-n4_Cy1DWufW-ghAGpMz2lNfGbBXDA%3A1775691645962&ei=fefWaYa1Osyh0PEP1qTV8Ao&biw=1920&bih=979&ved=0ahUKEwjG56butt-TAxXMEDQIHVZSFa4Q4dUDCBE&uact=5&oq=How+much+would+it+have+cost+to+rent+an+apartment+near+the+beach+in+Santa+Monica+in+1977%3F&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiWEhvdyBtdWNoIHdvdWxkIGl0IGhhdmUgY29zdCB0byByZW50IGFuIGFwYXJ0bWVudCBuZWFyIHRoZSBiZWFjaCBpbiBTYW50YSBNb25pY2EgaW4gMTk3Nz9IzBpQ7gxY_BdwAXgBkAEAmAFWoAG5CKoBAjE1uAEDyAEA-AEBmAIFoAK4AsICChAAGLADGNYEGEfCAgcQIxiwAhgnwgIEECEYCpgDAIgGAZAGCJIHATWgB_QusgcBNLgHtQLCBwMyLjPIBwWACAA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp) that I got:

Typical Beach Location: A two-bedroom unit three blocks from the beach in the Venice/Santa Monica area was rented for $175/month, rising to $475 by 1997.
"Three's Company" Estimate: A popular television show set during that time depicted a 3-person apartment (https://www.iamnotastalker.com/2012/03/23/the-threes-company-apartment-building/) costing roughly $300 a month in 1977/1978.
Comparison: While national median asking rent for new apartments was around $232 in 1977, desirable California beach locations were at a premium, though significantly lower than modern rates.


Again, if Google (https://www.google.com/search?q=If+it+cost+%24300+a+month+to+rent+an+apartment+in+Santa+Monica+by+the+beach+in+1977-78%2C+then+how+much+would+it+cost+in+2026+dollars%3F&sca_esv=e5a82f36d3850ce9&sxsrf=ANbL-n6oyGJmfpE2LsHWb2K1zOR3WCjZ0A%3A1775691858571&source=hp&ei=UujWabzoIKuhur8PpJbgoAo&iflsig=AFdpzrgAAAAAadb2Yv3qwd13K0W2o3XRjg8VAzKjxmq_&ved=0ahUKEwi82dXTt9-TAxWrkO4BHSQLGKQQ4dUDCCE&uact=5&oq=If+it+cost+%24300+a+month+to+rent+an+apartment+in+Santa+Monica+by+the+beach+in+1977-78%2C+then+how+much+would+it+cost+in+2026+dollars%3F&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IoIBSWYgaXQgY29zdCAkMzAwIGEgbW9udGggdG8gcmVudCBhbiBhcGFydG1lbnQgaW4gU2FudGEgTW9uaWNhIGJ5IHRoZSBiZWFjaCBpbiAxOTc3LTc4LCB0aGVuIGhvdyBtdWNoIHdvdWxkIGl0IGNvc3QgaW4gMjAyNiBkb2xsYXJzP0j-9QFQAFj46QFwCngAkAECmAGIA6AB-UmqAQg0LjU0LjMuMrgBA8gBAPgBAfgBApgCQ6ACy0LCAgoQIxiABBgnGIoFwgIEECMYJ8ICCxAAGIAEGJECGIoFwgILEC4YgAQYsQMYgwHCAgsQABiABBixAxiDAcICBRAAGIAEwgIOEC4YgAQYsQMY0QMYxwHCAggQABiABBixA8ICBRAuGIAEwgIIEC4YgAQYsQPCAgoQABiABBhDGIoFwgILEAAYgAQYsQMYigXCAgsQABiABBiGAxiKBcICBhAAGBYYHsICBRAAGO8FwgIIEAAYogQYiQXCAgUQIRigAcICBRAhGKsCwgIFECEYkgPCAgcQIRigARgKwgIFECEYnwWYAwCSBwkxMy41MS4yLjGgB7XDA7IHCDMuNTEuMi4xuAe3QsIHBzM1LjMxLjHIB0mACAA&sclient=gws-wiz) is accurate, then $300 in 2026 dollars, would cost approximately $1,500 to $1,600.

I find the estimates to not be credible. I lived in the poorer part of West Palm Beach, FL in 1997 and was paying more than $475 per month for a tiny apartment. Its hard for me to believe in one of California's most famous beach towns you could rent for less. I think the $300 rent in 1977 was probably fair. I think the Google response is way off.