Home / Select Cities  /  2024 Comparing Chico, CA vs. Santa Barbara, CA

2024 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Chico, CA vs Santa Barbara, CA

Change Cities
Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Santa Barbara or is it cheaper to live in Chico?
- Santa Barbara is 40.3% more expensive than Chico.

Which city has more affordable housing, Santa Barbara or Chico?
- Santa Barbara housing costs are 227.6% more expensive than Chico housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Chico or is Health Care more affordable in Santa Barbara.
- Health related expenses are 6.3% less in Santa Barbara.
 Chico, CASanta Barbara, CAUnited States
 Overall110.3154.7100
 Food & Groceries102.0113.8100
 Health120.8113.2100
 Housing145.5476.7100
 Median Home Cost$440,000$1,525,500$338,100
 Utilities11,080.0%9,020.0%10,000.0%
 Transportation84.997.0100
 Miscellaneous115.1142.5100

100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
DID YOU KNOW?

In order to keep your same standard of living your salary can vary greatly - whether you buy or rent, require child care, or want to include taxes. This is why we are now offering a Premium Salary & Cost of Living Calculator.

Our Premium Calculator Includes:
- Compare Cities cost of living across 9 different categories
- Personal salary calculations can optionally include Home ownership or rental, Child care, and Taxes (with details on state and local sales, income, property and automobile taxes)
- Includes the cost of Child Care for toddlers or infants, at a day care center or home care
- Grocery prices, detailed for 29 staple items in six categories
- Difference in cost of Utilities, including electric, gas and fuel oil
- Health Care Premiums and hospital expenses for major surgeries
- Taxes, Fees and Expenses you should know about, such as local car insurance rates, automobile taxes and registration, commuting costs.
- and 100s of other items you should consider before you relocate

Upgrade to Premium | See Example

View More Data >

Reviews for Chico    31 Reviews

Chico is imperfect like most places, but it's still good. Any and all of it's issues proceed from it's main fault of growing increasingly liberal, which is to be  More

   |    Reply

Uuwuu · 
Over 2 years ago

Chico's decent. I've been living here for ~5 years now. Eveen though my brother loves Chico and would like to stay, I would like to leave. I have no issues with crime or  More

   |    Reply

I was born in Oroville and I grew up in Oroville and Biggs. I have heard all my life about crime in chico. Well I have lived in Chico near Chapman for almost 10 years  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Chico

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

   |    Reply

Over 3 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

   |    Reply

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

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Santa Barbara

 Most Recent Searches On Compare Cities
COMPARE COST OF LIVING
Compare Chico, California Cost of Living vs Santa Barbara, California Cost of Living: Taxes, Childcare, Groceries, Health...
Compare Now


ZIPS IN CHICO, CALIFORNIA
95926 95928 95973
ZIPS IN SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
93101 93105 93103 93110 93109

PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION

Includes Cost of Living compares for child care, utilities, transportation, health, taxes, housing for home owners vs renters, weather, insurance premiums and so much more.

Try Now