Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Clarita, CA and Portland, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Portland, OR: $3,375 a month against $3,822 in Santa Clarita, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Clarita, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

187

Cost of Living Index in Santa Clarita, CA
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Santa Clarita, CA Living Index
163

Cost of Living Index in Portland, OR
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Portland, OR Living Index

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Santa Clarita, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,822

/mo nomad

Portland, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$3,375

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Clarita, CA and in Portland, OR

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 Portland, OR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,822 per month in Santa Clarita, CA vs $3,375 in Portland, OR, rent included.

Santa Clarita, CA $3,822
Portland, OR $3,375

A couple spends around $5,089 per month in Santa Clarita, CA vs $5,007 in Portland, OR, rent included.

Santa Clarita, CA $5,089
Portland, OR $5,007

A family of three spends $6,356 per month in Santa Clarita, CA vs $6,639 in Portland, OR, rent included.

Santa Clarita, CA $6,356
Portland, OR $6,639

Santa Clarita, CA costs about 13% more than Portland, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Santa Clarita, CA and Portland, OR sit above the global median – Santa Clarita, CA by 183%, Portland, OR by 150%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 $19.96

$24.56 $24.56

-18.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$89.9 $89.9

12.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$14.24 $14.24

5.62%

Cappuccino

$6.11 $6.11

$5.95 $5.95

2.69%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.50 $2.50

46.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.95 $1.95

52.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 $8.20

$8.17 $8.17

0.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.04 $9.04

$7.79 $7.79

16.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.22 $1.22

-3.28%

White Bread (500g)

$4.08 $4.08

$4.91 $4.91

-16.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$4.95 $4.95

-0.20%

Eggs

$4.94 $4.94

$5.63 $5.63

-12.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.19 $19.19

$19.01 $19.01

0.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 $8.23

$19.67 $19.67

-58.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.68 $16.68

$29.49 $29.49

-43.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$6.65 $6.65

-3.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.10 $2.10

-2.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$6.06 $6.06

-49.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$8.57 $8.57

-64.64%

Potato (1kg)

$8.51 $8.51

$2.75 $2.75

209.45%

Onion (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$2.36 $2.36

105.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.26 $3.26

10.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.52 $2.52

7.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.48 $11.48

$11.35 $11.35

1.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 $15.76

$14.97 $14.97

5.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.33 $3.33

-47.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$5.17 $5.17

-15.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.88 $2.88

-11.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.78 $26.78

$101 $101

-73.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 $2.85

$4.87 $4.87

-41.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.83 $1.83

38.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.8 $60.8

$24.05 $24.05

152.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.26 $1.26

5.56%

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

$23.4K $23.4K

$33.9K $33.9K

-31.02%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.36%

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

$229 $229

$322 $322

-28.98%

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

$55.7 $55.7

$64.7 $64.7

-13.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$69.5 $69.5

2.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.08 $37.08

$59.2 $59.2

-37.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.22 $25.22

$30.73 $30.73

-17.93%

Cinema Ticket

$14.23 $14.23

$15.14 $15.14

-6.01%

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

$1,402 $1,402

$1,691 $1,691

-17.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.2K $37.2K

$24.7K $24.7K

50.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 $74.7

$65.1 $65.1

14.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.07 $27.07

$41.11 $41.11

-34.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 $72.1

$115 $115

-37.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$132 $132

-17.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,850 $2,850

$1,934 $1,934

47.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,414 $2,414

$1,585 $1,585

52.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,759 $3,759

$3,451 $3,451

8.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,152 $3,152

$2,738 $2,738

15.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,695 $3,695

$3,925 $3,925

-5.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,359 $4,359

$3,340 $3,340

30.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,539 $4,539

14.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.51

-0.31%

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

Last update for Santa Clarita, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Portland, OR: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Clarita, CA

$2.4K 63.2%

Portland, OR

$1.6K 47% 34.3% $829

Groceries & Markets

Santa Clarita, CA

$444 11.6%

Portland, OR

$574 17% 29.2% $130

Eating Out

Santa Clarita, CA

$364 9.5%

Portland, OR

$385 11.4% 5.8% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Clarita, CA

$356 9.3%

Portland, OR

$457 13.5% 28.1% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Clarita, CA

$127 3.3%

Portland, OR

$159 4.7% 25.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Clarita, CA

$66 1.7%

Portland, OR

$89 2.7% 36.5% $24

Getting Around

Santa Clarita, CA

$52 1.4%

Portland, OR

$126 3.7% 141% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,850 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $1,934 in Portland, OR. 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 14% 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 $101 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $90.0 in Portland, OR. Groceries tell a different story – $444 in Santa Clarita, CA vs $574 in Portland, OR – so Santa Clarita, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Clarita, CA

🇺🇸 Portland, OR

🕒 Local time

09:20 9:20 AM

Same time as Santa Clarita, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

182,371

652,503

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Santa Clarita, CA Portland, OR 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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Santa Clarita, CA
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Santa Clarita, CA vs Portland, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Clarita, CA costs about 13% more than Portland, OR, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,734 per month in Santa Clarita, CA and $5,062 in Portland, OR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portland, OR, 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 $3,822 in Santa Clarita, CA and $3,375 in Portland, OR. That's a gap of about 13%.

Public transport costs about 277% less in Portland, OR. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,822 in Santa Clarita, CA and $3,375 in Portland, OR. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Santa Clarita, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,375 in Portland, OR to $3,822 in Santa Clarita, 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 Portland, OR. 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.