Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Issaquah, WA and Santa Clarita, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Issaquah, WA: $3,081 a month against $3,871 in Santa Clarita, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Issaquah, WA
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Issaquah, WA Living Index
186

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

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Issaquah, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,081

/mo nomad

Santa Clarita, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Issaquah, WA 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 Issaquah, WA and in Santa Clarita, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,081 per month in Issaquah, WA vs $3,871 in Santa Clarita, CA, rent included.

Issaquah, WA $3,081
Santa Clarita, CA $3,871

A couple spends around $4,453 per month in Issaquah, WA vs $5,130 in Santa Clarita, CA, rent included.

Issaquah, WA $4,453
Santa Clarita, CA $5,130

A family of three spends $5,826 per month in Issaquah, WA vs $6,390 in Santa Clarita, CA, rent included.

Issaquah, WA $5,826
Santa Clarita, CA $6,390

Issaquah, WA is about 20% cheaper than Santa Clarita, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Issaquah, WA and Santa Clarita, CA sit above the global median – Issaquah, WA by 127%, Santa Clarita, CA by 186%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.35 $25.35

$19.80 $19.80

28.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$101 $101

-21.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 $11.72

$14.83 $14.83

-20.97%

Cappuccino

$4.80 $4.80

$6.02 $6.02

-20.27%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.60 $3.60

-10.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.93 $2.93

-30.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 $7.18

$7.76 $7.76

-7.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 $6.90

$8.76 $8.76

-21.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.13 $1.13

27.43%

White Bread (500g)

$5.37 $5.37

$4.04 $4.04

32.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$5.03 $5.03

14.71%

Eggs

$5.52 $5.52

$4.75 $4.75

16.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.18 $16.18

$19.37 $19.37

-16.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$7.79 $7.79

96.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 $17.76

$17.12 $17.12

3.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$6.56 $6.56

-11.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.02 $2.02

11.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.93 $2.93

39.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$3.08 $3.08

49.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$8.86 $8.86

-73.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$4.79 $4.79

-50.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$3.40 $3.40

-46.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.74 $2.74

11.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.33 $12.33

$11.69 $11.69

5.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 $18.79

$16.14 $16.14

16.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.69 $1.69

-0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.41 $4.41

12.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.56 $2.56

9.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.71 $26.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.82 $2.82

-6.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.42 $2.42

-32.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.47 $30.47

$59.6 $59.6

-48.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$23.1K $23.1K

22.82%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$26.6K $26.6K

1.17%

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

$227 $227

$222 $222

2.50%

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

$63.1 $63.1

$55.3 $55.3

14.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 $84.9

$71.9 $71.9

18.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.41 $36.41

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.24 $25.24

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 $15.27

$13.93 $13.93

9.62%

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

$2,107 $2,107

$1,424 $1,424

47.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K $31.5K

$37.5K $37.5K

-15.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 $61.7

$74.6 $74.6

-17.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 $44.65

$27.45 $27.45

62.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 $84.0

$71.4 $71.4

17.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.9 $74.9

$109 $109

-31.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 $2,079

$2,831 $2,831

-26.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,682 $1,682

$2,478 $2,478

-32.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,231 $3,231

$3,798 $3,798

-14.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,763 $2,763

$3,209 $3,209

-13.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,117 $4,117

$3,698 $3,698

11.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,330 $4,330

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,290 $6,290

$5,387 $5,387

16.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.49

2.31%

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

Last update for Issaquah, WA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Santa Clarita, CA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Issaquah, WA

$1.7K 54.6%

Santa Clarita, CA

$2.5K 64% 47.3% $796

Groceries & Markets

Issaquah, WA

$485 15.7%

Santa Clarita, CA

$444 11.5% 8.6% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Issaquah, WA

$375 12.2%

Santa Clarita, CA

$349 9% 7% $26

Eating Out

Issaquah, WA

$366 11.9%

Santa Clarita, CA

$358 9.2% 2.4% $8.7

Clothing & Footwear

Issaquah, WA

$119 3.9%

Santa Clarita, CA

$127 3.3% 6.3% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Issaquah, WA

$31 * 1%

Santa Clarita, CA

$64 1.7% 111% $34

Getting Around

Issaquah, WA

$22 * 0.7%

Santa Clarita, CA

$52 1.3% 135% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,079 in Issaquah, WA versus $2,831 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 17% higher in Issaquah, WA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Issaquah, WA versus $101 in Santa Clarita, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $485 in Issaquah, WA vs $444 in Santa Clarita, CA – so Santa Clarita, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Issaquah, WA

🇺🇸 Santa Clarita, CA

🕒 Local time

21:09 9:09 PM

Same time as Issaquah, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,051

182,371

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Issaquah, WA Santa Clarita, CA 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Issaquah, WA
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

Issaquah, WA vs Santa Clarita, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Clarita, CA is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,621 per month in Issaquah, WA and $5,807 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 Issaquah, WA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,081 in Issaquah, WA and $3,871 in Santa Clarita, CA. That's a gap of about 26%.

Kindergarten costs $2,107 per month in Issaquah, WA and $1,424 in Santa Clarita, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,081 in Issaquah, WA and $3,871 in Santa Clarita, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Issaquah, WA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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