Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $3,884 in Santa Clarita, CA, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Clarita, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
185

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Santa Clarita, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,884

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,884 in Santa Clarita, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Santa Clarita, CA $3,884

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $5,163 in Santa Clarita, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Santa Clarita, CA $5,163

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $6,442 in Santa Clarita, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Santa Clarita, CA $6,442

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 3% less than in Santa Clarita, CA.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Santa Clarita, CA 185% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$19.90 $19.90

27.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$98.1 $98.1

2.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$15.17 $15.17

-2.70%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.16 $6.16

5.52%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.58 $3.58

-10.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.97 $2.97

5.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.80 $7.80

2.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.78 $8.78

-7.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.13 $1.13

3.54%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.07 $4.07

30.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.98 $4.98

28.51%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.95 $4.95

2.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$19.52 $19.52

-4.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$8.07 $8.07

131.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$16.68 $16.68

37.17%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.51 $6.51

-6.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.96 $1.96

-0.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.08 $3.08

78.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$2.95 $2.95

121.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$8.86 $8.86

-60.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.69 $4.69

-29.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.49 $3.49

-19.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.69 $2.69

-4.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.89 $11.89

5.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$16.03 $16.03

-7.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.71 $1.71

145.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.40 $4.40

31.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.48 $2.48

22.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$27.34 $27.34

287.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.82 $2.82

-8.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.47 $2.47

-33.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$60.4 $60.4

-50.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.27 $1.27

11.02%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$23.0K $23.0K

60.13%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.26%

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

$308 $308

$223 $223

38.12%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$55.6 $55.6

24.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$72.3 $72.3

19.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$36.54 $36.54

109.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$25.26 $25.26

40.54%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.26 $14.26

26.37%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,451 $1,451

89.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$36.9K $36.9K

-17.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$73.6 $73.6

7.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$27.31 $27.31

98.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$73.1 $73.1

73.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$111 $111

43.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,827 $2,827

-11.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$2,483 $2,483

-21.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,861 $3,861

32.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$3,261 $3,261

8.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,653 $3,653

101.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$4,227 $4,227

18.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,249 $5,249

23.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.49

6.16%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Santa Clarita, CA

$2.5K 63.9% 28.1% $544

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Santa Clarita, CA

$444 11.4% 18.9% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Santa Clarita, CA

$351 9% 24.3% $112

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Santa Clarita, CA

$361 9.3% 11% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Santa Clarita, CA

$128 3.3% 32% $60

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Santa Clarita, CA

$52 1.4% 59.4% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Santa Clarita, CA

$65 1.7% 42.2% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,827 in Santa Clarita, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $98 in Santa Clarita, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $444 per month, with Santa Clarita, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Santa Clarita, CA

🕒 Local time

01:24 1:24 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

182,371

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Santa Clarita, CA 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, 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

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

Average pay runs 23% higher in Seattle, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,827 in Santa Clarita, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Santa Clarita, CA pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Clarita, CA – a meal for two runs $98 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.