Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco, CA and Chicago, IL 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Chicago, IL are 18.8% lower than in San Francisco, CA (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Chicago, IL are 27.7% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Rent Prices in Chicago, IL are 38.0% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Restaurant Prices in Chicago, IL are 17.4% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Groceries Prices in Chicago, IL are 21.0% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Chicago, IL is 19.6% higher than in San Francisco, CA | |
Restaurants | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 $ | 20.00 $ | -20.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 100.00 $ | 80.00 $ | -20.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 12.00 $ | 10.00 $ | -16.7 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 7.00 $ | 6.00 $ | -14.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.00 $ | 7.00 $ | -12.5 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.20 $ | 5.15 $ | -1.0 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.76 $ | 2.52 $ | -8.7 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.27 $ | 2.10 $ | -7.2 % |
Markets | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 5.87 $ | 3.39 $ | -42.2 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.40 $ | 3.01 $ | -31.7 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.55 $ | 2.05 $ | -19.5 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 5.31 $ | 4.11 $ | -22.5 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 8.64 $ | 6.67 $ | -22.9 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 7.38 $ | 5.46 $ | -26.1 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 8.75 $ | 7.39 $ | -15.6 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.96 $ | 2.48 $ | -16.3 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.63 $ | 0.75 $ | -54.1 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.33 $ | 1.91 $ | -18.3 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 3.15 $ | 2.07 $ | -34.4 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 2.08 $ | 1.07 $ | -48.7 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.71 $ | 1.03 $ | -39.8 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.20 $ | 2.02 $ | -36.7 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.38 $ | 2.44 $ | +2.5 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | 15.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.81 $ | 2.82 $ | +0.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.85 $ | 4.25 $ | +10.3 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 13.25 $ | 15.00 $ | +13.2 % |
Transportation | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.75 $ | 2.50 $ | -9.1 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 87.50 $ | 80.00 $ | -8.6 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 4.00 $ | 3.50 $ | -12.5 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 3.13 $ | 3.39 $ | +8.2 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 33.00 $ | 30.00 $ | -9.1 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 5.75 $ | 4.27 $ | -25.8 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 28,654.00 $ | 23,197.50 $ | -19.0 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 25,728.43 $ | 24,669.44 $ | -4.1 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 258.26 $ | 165.61 $ | -35.9 % |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) | 0.18 $ | 0.33 $ | +85.6 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 69.37 $ | 68.00 $ | -2.0 % |
Sports And Leisure | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 97.19 $ | 63.94 $ | -34.2 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 16.87 $ | 10.71 $ | -36.5 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 16.00 $ | 15.00 $ | -6.2 % |
Childcare | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,457.14 $ | 1,784.74 $ | -27.4 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 33,071.00 $ | 25,786.67 $ | -22.0 % |
Clothing And Shoes | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 66.04 $ | 59.55 $ | -9.8 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 47.43 $ | 39.58 $ | -16.6 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 88.60 $ | 90.92 $ | +2.6 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 120.61 $ | 111.88 $ | -7.2 % |
Rent Per Month | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 3,275.90 $ | 2,000.35 $ | -38.9 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,579.66 $ | 1,438.85 $ | -44.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 5,894.00 $ | 4,061.90 $ | -31.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 4,449.95 $ | 2,547.73 $ | -42.7 % |
Buy Apartment Price | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,058.85 $ | 434.37 $ | -59.0 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 971.53 $ | 254.50 $ | -73.8 % |
Salaries And Financing | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,343.75 $ | 5,487.65 $ | -13.5 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 5.02 | 5.63 | +12.2 % |
| Last update: | March 2023 | March 2023 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 230 | 259 |
Moving to San Francisco, CA? Explore:
Moving to Chicago, IL? Explore:
Cities near San Francisco, CA: | Cost of Living in Oakland, California | 10.67 miles |
| Cost of Living in Piedmont, California | 12.31 miles |
| Cost of Living in Berkeley, California | 13.02 miles |
| Cost of Living in Alameda, California | 15.02 miles |
| Cost of Living in San Rafael, California | 18.32 miles |
| Cost of Living in San Mateo, California | 21.47 miles |
| Cost of Living in Belmont, California | 24.19 miles |
| Cost of Living in Walnut Creek, California | 24.48 miles |
| Cost of Living in Redwood City, California | 26.16 miles |
| Cost of Living in Hayward, California | 26.70 miles |
Cities near Chicago, IL: | Cost of Living in Oak Park, Illinois | 9.14 miles |
| Cost of Living in Evanston, Illinois | 14.20 miles |
| Cost of Living in La Grange Park, Illinois | 15.03 miles |
| Cost of Living in Franklin Park, Illinois | 16.69 miles |
| Cost of Living in Des Plaines, Illinois | 20.82 miles |
| Cost of Living in East Chicago, Indiana | 23.76 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wheaton, Illinois | 25.81 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bolingbrook, Illinois | 29.21 miles |
| Cost of Living in Naperville, Illinois | 30.13 miles |
| Cost of Living in Schaumburg, Illinois | 30.60 miles |