2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Chapel Hill, NC vs Santa Barbara, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Santa Barbara or is it cheaper to live in Chapel Hill?
- Santa Barbara is 43.5% more expensive than Chapel Hill.

Which city has more affordable housing, Santa Barbara or Chapel Hill?
- Santa Barbara housing costs are 202.7% more expensive than Chapel Hill housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Chapel Hill or is Health Care more affordable in Santa Barbara.
- Health related expenses are 10.4% more in Santa Barbara.
 Chapel Hill, NCSanta Barbara, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock154.7100
 Food & Groceries103.9  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock113.2100
 Housing157.5  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$1,525,500$338,100
 Utilities101  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock97.0100
 Miscellaneous113.3  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Chapel Hill    16 Reviews

Between my wife and I, we've lived in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, and Chapel Hill, and it's Chapel Hill we prefer. Franklin Street is always lively with an eclectic mix of  More

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I am not sure if Bert has actually been to the Triangle, but for starters, Durham, as Chapel Hill residents know and envy, is and has been for 5 yrs now a vibrant  More

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someone told me they live in the hills/mountains right near chapel hill, and the summers are much cooler there, while the town itself is easily accessible. is this  More

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Reviews for Santa Barbara    51 Reviews

I moved to Santa Barbara around 23 years ago to study at Brooks, which like most of the Santa Barbara that I knew—has been destroyed. Homelessness, drugs, gangs, high  More

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Over 4 years ago

I fell in love with Santa Barbara about thirty years ago and finally moved here a few years ago. Because of the price of homes, it is an expensive place to live. The  More

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If you like high crime, paying a $4,500 a month mortgage and crazy high taxes, this is the place for you. It’s too bad because it wasn’t always like this. When I moved  More

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