Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Santa Clarita, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,884 in Santa Clarita, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Clarita, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
185

Cost of Living Index in Santa Clarita, CA
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Santa Clarita, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Santa Clarita, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,884

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Santa Clarita, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chicago, IL and in Santa Clarita, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,884 in Santa Clarita, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Santa Clarita, CA $3,884

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,163 in Santa Clarita, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Santa Clarita, CA $5,163

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,442 in Santa Clarita, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Santa Clarita, CA $6,442

Chicago, IL is about 22% cheaper than Santa Clarita, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Santa Clarita, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Santa Clarita, CA by 185%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.90 $19.90

4.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$98.1 $98.1

-9.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$15.17 $15.17

-13.05%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.16 $6.16

-8.12%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.58 $3.58

-26.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.97 $2.97

-23.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.80 $7.80

-11.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.78 $8.78

0.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.13 $1.13

10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.07 $4.07

-8.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.98 $4.98

8.23%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.95 $4.95

-4.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$19.52 $19.52

-29.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$8.07 $8.07

78.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$16.68 $16.68

10.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.51 $6.51

-19.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.96 $1.96

1.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.08 $3.08

31.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.95 $2.95

68.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$8.86 $8.86

-69.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.69 $4.69

-43.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.49 $3.49

-35.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.69 $2.69

16.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$11.89 $11.89

16.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$16.03 $16.03

-7.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.71 $1.71

48.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.40 $4.40

-20.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.48 $2.48

-2.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$27.34 $27.34

168.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.82 $2.82

12.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.47 $2.47

-43.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$60.4 $60.4

-58.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.27 $1.27

-5.51%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.0K $35.0K

$23.0K $23.0K

52.47%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.58%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$194 $194

$223 $223

-12.70%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$55.6 $55.6

25.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$72.3 $72.3

-14.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$36.54 $36.54

31.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$25.26 $25.26

8.23%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.26 $14.26

24.89%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,794 $1,794

$1,451 $1,451

23.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$36.9K $36.9K

-13.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$73.6 $73.6

-8.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$27.31 $27.31

90.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$73.1 $73.1

38.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$111 $111

29.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,827 $2,827

-10.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,483 $2,483

-36.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,861 $3,861

22.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$3,261 $3,261

-17.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,653 $3,653

14.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$4,227 $4,227

-34.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,249 $5,249

-6.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.49

4.93%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Santa Clarita, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Santa Clarita, CA

$2.5K 63.9% 57.3% $905

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Santa Clarita, CA

$444 11.4% 0.8% $3.7

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Santa Clarita, CA

$361 9.3% 4.8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Santa Clarita, CA

$351 9% 7.7% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Santa Clarita, CA

$128 3.3% 21.8% $36

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Santa Clarita, CA

$52 1.4% 43.9% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Santa Clarita, CA

$65 1.7% 22.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,827 in Santa Clarita, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 6% higher in Santa Clarita, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $98 in Santa Clarita, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $444 in Santa Clarita, CA – so Santa Clarita, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Santa Clarita, CA

🕒 Local time

21:52 9:52 PM

19:52 7:52 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

182,371

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Santa Clarita, CA 2,810 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Santa Clarita, CA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chicago, IL vs Santa Clarita, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,884 in Santa Clarita, CA – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $5,826 in Santa Clarita, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,526 there versus $2,827 in Santa Clarita, CA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $98 in Santa Clarita, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 63% less in Santa Clarita, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $3,884 in Santa Clarita, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chicago, IL costs $3,037 versus $3,884 in Santa Clarita, CA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, IL. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Clarita, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.