Cost of Living: Elgin, IL vs Santa Ana, CA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,227/mo in Elgin, IL versus $3,974/mo in Santa Ana, CA. In the model, rent is about 18.36% of gross in Elgin, IL versus 28.78% in Santa Ana, CA, so Elgin, IL tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Elgin, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Santa Ana, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Elgin, IL
18.36%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Santa Ana, CA
28.78%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Elgin, IL and Santa Ana, CA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Elgin, IL
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Elgin, IL
  • Lower home prices: Elgin, IL
  • Higher median household income: Santa Ana, CA

Cost of Living Index

Elgin, IL: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Santa Ana, CA: 142.8 (U.S. = 100)

Elgin, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Santa Ana, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Elgin, IL: $1,197/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Santa Ana, CA: $1,877/mo

Median rent in Santa Ana, CA is $680/mo higher than in Elgin, IL.

Median Home Price

Elgin, IL: $252,400 · Santa Ana, CA: $657,800

Median home price in Santa Ana, CA is $405,400 higher than in Elgin, IL.

Median Household Income

Elgin, IL: $88,316 · Santa Ana, CA: $88,354

Santa Ana, CA has a higher median household income than Elgin, IL by $38.

Elgin, IL overview · Santa Ana, CA overview · Popular comparisons