Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Issaquah, WA: $3,076 a month against $3,818 in Santa Clarita, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Santa Clarita, CA, United States
Issaquah, WA, United States
Santa Clarita, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,818
/mo nomad
Issaquah, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,076
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Clarita, CA and in Issaquah, WA

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 Issaquah, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,818 per month in Santa Clarita, CA vs $3,076 in Issaquah, WA, rent included.

  • Santa Clarita, CA $3,818
  • Issaquah, WA $3,076

A couple spends around $5,123 per month in Santa Clarita, CA vs $4,410 in Issaquah, WA, rent included.

  • Santa Clarita, CA $5,123
  • Issaquah, WA $4,410

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Santa Clarita, CA vs $5,743 in Issaquah, WA, rent included.

  • Santa Clarita, CA $6,428
  • Issaquah, WA $5,743

Santa Clarita, CA costs about 24% more than Issaquah, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Santa Clarita, CA and Issaquah, WA sit above the global median – Santa Clarita, CA by 182%, Issaquah, WA by 128%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Santa Clarita, CA
Issaquah, WA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.11 $20.11
$24.57 $24.57
-18.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.7 $99.7
$79.1 $79.1
26.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.10 $15.10
$11.36 $11.36
32.92%
Cappuccino
$6.11 $6.11
$4.70 $4.70
30.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.57 $3.57
$3.19 $3.19
11.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 $3.04
$1.89 $1.89
60.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.16 $8.16
$7.20 $7.20
13.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.06 $9.06
$6.85 $6.85
32.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Santa Clarita, CA
Issaquah, WA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.44 $1.44
-21.53%
White Bread (500g)
$3.98 $3.98
$5.35 $5.35
-25.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.02 $5.02
$5.90 $5.90
-14.92%
Eggs
$4.78 $4.78
$5.47 $5.47
-12.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.18 $19.18
$16.23 $16.23
18.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.98 $7.98
$15.28 $15.28
-47.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.09 $17.09
$17.58 $17.58
-2.79%
Apples (1kg)
$6.56 $6.56
$6.04 $6.04
8.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 $1.94
$2.23 $2.23
-13.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.09 $3.09
$4.27 $4.27
-27.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.95 $2.95
$4.51 $4.51
-34.59%
Potato (1kg)
$8.38 $8.38
$2.25 $2.25
272.44%
Onion (1kg)
$4.76 $4.76
$2.40 $2.40
98.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.45 $3.45
$1.75 $1.75
97.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.69 $2.69
$3.05 $3.05
-11.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.56 $11.56
$12.11 $12.11
-4.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.20 $16.20
$18.84 $18.84
-14.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 $1.77
$1.69 $1.69
4.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 $4.39
$4.96 $4.96
-11.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Santa Clarita, CA
Issaquah, WA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.47 $2.47
$2.69 $2.69
-8.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.33 $27.33
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.88 $2.88
$2.66 $2.66
8.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.44 $2.44
$1.66 $1.66
46.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$58.9 $58.9
$30.08 $30.08
95.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 $1.26
$1.42 $1.42
-11.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.6K $23.6K
$27.7K $27.7K
-14.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$27.4K $27.4K
-4.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santa Clarita, CA
Issaquah, WA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$221 $221
$233 $233
-4.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$56.2 $56.2
$63.5 $63.5
-11.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.2 $71.2
$82.5 $82.5
-13.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Santa Clarita, CA
Issaquah, WA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.80 $36.80
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.47 $25.47
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.07 $14.07
$14.98 $14.98
-6.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Santa Clarita, CA
Issaquah, WA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$993 $993
$2,119 $2,119
-53.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$40.0K $40.0K
$27.6K $27.6K
45.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Santa Clarita, CA
Issaquah, WA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$73.6 $73.6
$60.9 $60.9
20.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.03 $27.03
$43.94 $43.94
-38.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.9 $72.9
$83.4 $83.4
-12.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 $110
$74.2 $74.2
48.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Santa Clarita, CA
Issaquah, WA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,777 $2,777
$2,053 $2,053
35.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,418 $2,418
$1,685 $1,685
43.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,905 $3,905
$3,256 $3,256
19.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,241 $3,241
$2,700 $2,700
20.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,725 $3,725
$4,187 $4,187
-11.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,283 $4,283
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Santa Clarita, CA
Issaquah, WA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,306 $5,306
$6,279 $6,279
-15.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.49
6.64
-2.26%

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

Last update for Santa Clarita, CA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Issaquah, WA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Santa Clarita, CA
$2.4K
Issaquah, WA
$1.7K 30.3% $733
Groceries & Markets
Santa Clarita, CA
$441
Issaquah, WA
$486 10% $44
Eating Out
Santa Clarita, CA
$365
Issaquah, WA
$357 2.1% $7.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santa Clarita, CA
$348
Issaquah, WA
$378 8.7% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Santa Clarita, CA
$128
Issaquah, WA
$118 7.5% $9.5
Sport & Entertainment
Santa Clarita, CA
$65
Issaquah, WA
$30 * 53.9% $35
Getting Around
Santa Clarita, CA
$52
Issaquah, WA
$22 * 58.5% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,777 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $2,053 in Issaquah, WA. 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 18% 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 $100 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $79 in Issaquah, WA. Groceries tell a different story – $441 in Santa Clarita, CA vs $486 in Issaquah, WA – so Santa Clarita, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Santa Clarita, CA
🇺🇸 Issaquah, WA
🕒 Local time
09:05 9:05 AM
09:05 9:05 AM
Same time as Santa Clarita, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
182,371
40,051
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Santa Clarita, CA Issaquah, WA 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Santa Clarita, CA
  • Issaquah, WA

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 Issaquah, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Issaquah, WA cheaper than Santa Clarita, CA?
Yes – Santa Clarita, CA is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,726 per month in Santa Clarita, CA and $4,614 in Issaquah, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Issaquah, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,053 there versus $2,777 in Santa Clarita, CA.
What are total monthly expenses in Santa Clarita, CA and in Issaquah, WA?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,818 in Santa Clarita, CA and $3,076 in Issaquah, WA. That makes Issaquah, WA about 19% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $993 per month in Santa Clarita, CA and $2,119 in Issaquah, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Santa Clarita, CA or in Issaquah, WA?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,818 in Santa Clarita, CA and $3,076 in Issaquah, WA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Santa Clarita, CA or in Issaquah, WA?
It depends on your priorities. Santa Clarita, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,076 in Issaquah, WA to $3,818 in Santa Clarita, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Santa Clarita, CA vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?