Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,139 a month against $4,365 in Santa Barbara, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

210

Cost of Living Index in Santa Barbara, CA
Learn more

Santa Barbara, CA Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Santa Barbara, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,365

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,365 per month in Santa Barbara, CA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Santa Barbara, CA $4,365
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $6,182 per month in Santa Barbara, CA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Santa Barbara, CA $6,182
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $8,000 per month in Santa Barbara, CA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Santa Barbara, CA $8,000
Chicago, IL $6,115

Santa Barbara, CA costs about 39% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Santa Barbara, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Santa Barbara, CA by 222%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 $25.37

$20.65 $20.65

22.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.4 $99.4

$90.2 $90.2

10.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.18 $15.18

$12.94 $12.94

17.31%

Cappuccino

$6.00 $6.00

$5.60 $5.60

7.14%

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

$3.85 $3.85

$2.64 $2.64

45.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.27 $2.27

29.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.12 $8.12

$6.98 $6.98

16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.89 $11.89

$8.83 $8.83

34.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.27 $1.27

14.17%

White Bread (500g)

$4.60 $4.60

$3.80 $3.80

21.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.86 $6.86

$5.30 $5.30

29.43%

Eggs

$5.15 $5.15

$4.76 $4.76

8.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$13.96 $13.96

36.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.32 $14.32

$14.61 $14.61

-1.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.37 $22.37

$18.77 $18.77

19.18%

Apples (1kg)

$8.09 $8.09

$5.19 $5.19

55.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$1.98 $1.98

69.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$3.93 $3.93

63.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.03 $10.03

$4.96 $4.96

102.22%

Potato (1kg)

$8.46 $8.46

$2.76 $2.76

206.52%

Onion (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.76 $2.76

77.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.22 $2.22

54.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.98 $2.98

-9.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.75 $11.75

$14.02 $14.02

-16.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.05 $16.05

$15.28 $15.28

5.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.58 $2.58

-13.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.50 $3.50

29.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.47 $2.47

-1.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.8 $51.8

$74.8 $74.8

-30.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.34 $3.34

-14.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.43 $1.43

72.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.2 $59.2

$24.32 $24.32

143.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.26 $1.26

15.87%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.69%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.1K $26.1K

1.43%

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

$253 $253

$193 $193

31.35%

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

$73.8 $73.8

$68.3 $68.3

8.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.1 $71.1

$61.3 $61.3

15.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.8 $75.8

$54.1 $54.1

40.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.79 $19.79

$27.92 $27.92

-29.12%

Cinema Ticket

$14.24 $14.24

$17.74 $17.74

-19.73%

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

$1,410 $1,410

$1,652 $1,652

-14.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K $36.9K

$31.1K $31.1K

18.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 $88.7

$66.1 $66.1

34.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.96 $45.96

$51.2 $51.2

-10.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 $79.7

$100 $100

-20.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$141 $141

-8.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,886 $2,886

$2,446 $2,446

17.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,645 $2,645

$1,678 $1,678

57.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,882 $4,882

$4,717 $4,717

3.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,140 $4,140

$2,795 $2,795

48.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,987 $9,987

$4,105 $4,105

143.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.1K $10.1K

$2,650 $2,650

279.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,194 $5,194

$4,866 $4,866

6.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.81

-0.88%

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

Last update for Santa Barbara, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Barbara, CA

$2.6K 60.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 36.6% $967

Groceries & Markets

Santa Barbara, CA

$574 13.2%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 21.8% $125

Eating Out

Santa Barbara, CA

$412 9.4%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 16.6% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Barbara, CA

$398 9.1%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 19% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Barbara, CA

$155 3.5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 4.3% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Barbara, CA

$104 2.4%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 14.1% $15

Getting Around

Santa Barbara, CA

$77 1.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 24% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,886 in Santa Barbara, CA versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. 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 7% higher in Santa Barbara, 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 $99.0 in Santa Barbara, CA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $574 vs $449 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Barbara, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

07:32 7:32 AM

2 h ahead of Santa Barbara, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,196

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Barbara, CA Chicago, IL 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Santa Barbara, CA
Chicago, IL

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,365 in Santa Barbara, CA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,547 per month in Santa Barbara, CA and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Santa Barbara, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Santa Barbara, CA and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,365 in Santa Barbara, CA and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,139 in Chicago, IL to $4,365 in Santa Barbara, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Chicago, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Barbara, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.