Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

185

Cost of Living Index in Santa Clarita, CA
Learn more

Santa Clarita, CA Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Santa Clarita, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,884

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Santa Clarita, CA costs about 28% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.90 $19.90

$20.71 $20.71

-3.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.1 $98.1

$89.2 $89.2

9.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.17 $15.17

$13.19 $13.19

15.01%

Cappuccino

$6.16 $6.16

$5.66 $5.66

8.83%

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

$3.58 $3.58

$2.64 $2.64

35.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.28 $2.28

30.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 $7.80

$6.87 $6.87

13.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.78 $8.78

$8.84 $8.84

-0.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.25 $1.25

-9.60%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.72 $3.72

9.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.39 $5.39

-7.61%

Eggs

$4.95 $4.95

$4.74 $4.74

4.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.52 $19.52

$13.84 $13.84

41.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 $8.07

$14.40 $14.40

-43.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.68 $16.68

$18.38 $18.38

-9.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$5.22 $5.22

24.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.98 $1.98

-1.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.06 $4.06

-24.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$4.97 $4.97

-40.64%

Potato (1kg)

$8.86 $8.86

$2.67 $2.67

231.84%

Onion (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.66 $2.66

76.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.24 $2.24

55.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.13 $3.13

-14.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.89 $11.89

$13.82 $13.82

-13.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.03 $16.03

$14.88 $14.88

7.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.54 $2.54

-32.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 $4.40

$3.51 $3.51

25.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.43 $2.43

2.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.34 $27.34

$73.5 $73.5

-62.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.18 $3.18

-11.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.39 $1.39

77.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 $60.4

$25.03 $25.03

141.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.20 $1.20

5.83%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

-34.41%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.56%

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

$223 $223

$194 $194

14.55%

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

$55.6 $55.6

$69.5 $69.5

-20.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.3 $72.3

$61.6 $61.6

17.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.54 $36.54

$47.90 $47.90

-23.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 $25.26

$27.34 $27.34

-7.61%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$17.81 $17.81

-19.93%

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

$1,451 $1,451

$1,794 $1,794

-19.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.9K $36.9K

$31.9K $31.9K

15.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 $73.6

$67.0 $67.0

9.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.31 $27.31

$52.1 $52.1

-47.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 $73.1

$102 $102

-28.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$144 $144

-22.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,827 $2,827

$2,526 $2,526

11.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,483 $2,483

$1,578 $1,578

57.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,861 $3,861

$4,738 $4,738

-18.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,261 $3,261

$2,693 $2,693

21.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,653 $3,653

$4,190 $4,190

-12.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,227 $4,227

$2,768 $2,768

52.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,249 $5,249

$4,931 $4,931

6.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.81

-4.70%

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

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Clarita, CA

$2.5K 63.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 36.4% $905

Groceries & Markets

Santa Clarita, CA

$444 11.4%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 0.8% $3.7

Eating Out

Santa Clarita, CA

$361 9.3%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 4.6% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Clarita, CA

$351 9%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 7.1% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Clarita, CA

$128 3.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 27.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Clarita, CA

$65 1.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 28.4% $18

Getting Around

Santa Clarita, CA

$52 1.4%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 78.1% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,827 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $2,526 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 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 $98 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $444 in Santa Clarita, CA vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Santa Clarita, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Clarita, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

18:05 6:05 PM

20:05 8:05 PM

2 h ahead of Santa Clarita, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

182,371

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,826 per month in Santa Clarita, CA and $4,555 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,526 there versus $2,827 in Santa Clarita, CA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Santa Clarita, CA and $89 in Chicago, IL. 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 $3,884 in Santa Clarita, CA and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. 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.