Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and San Francisco, CA 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in San Francisco, CA are 15.5% higher than in Chicago, IL (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in San Francisco, CA are 28.6% higher than in Chicago, IL | |
| Rent Prices in San Francisco, CA are 49.0% higher than in Chicago, IL | |
| Restaurant Prices in San Francisco, CA are 4.1% higher than in Chicago, IL | |
| Groceries Prices in San Francisco, CA are 14.6% higher than in Chicago, IL | |
| Local Purchasing Power in San Francisco, CA is 7.8% higher than in Chicago, IL | |
Restaurants | Chicago, IL Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 $ | 25.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 90.00 $ | 100.00 $ | +11.1 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 11.67 $ | 12.00 $ | +2.8 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 8.00 $ | 8.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.50 $ | 8.00 $ | -5.9 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.19 $ | 5.62 $ | +8.2 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.95 $ | 2.77 $ | -6.0 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.37 $ | 2.35 $ | -1.0 % |
Markets | Chicago, IL Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.04 $ | 6.06 $ | +50.0 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.84 $ | 4.43 $ | +15.5 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.85 $ | 3.03 $ | +6.5 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 4.07 $ | 5.41 $ | +32.7 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 7.52 $ | 9.50 $ | +26.4 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.74 $ | 7.56 $ | +12.2 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 9.46 $ | 9.31 $ | -1.6 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.70 $ | 3.09 $ | +14.8 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.89 $ | 1.54 $ | +73.9 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.10 $ | 2.59 $ | +23.6 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.24 $ | 3.45 $ | +54.1 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.19 $ | 1.97 $ | +65.0 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.35 $ | 1.67 $ | +23.9 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.25 $ | 3.00 $ | +33.4 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.55 $ | 2.38 $ | -6.7 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | 17.75 $ | +18.3 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.43 $ | 2.33 $ | -4.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 4.31 $ | 3.10 $ | -28.0 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 16.50 $ | 13.25 $ | -19.7 % |
Transportation | Chicago, IL Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.50 $ | 3.00 $ | +20.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 80.00 $ | 98.00 $ | +22.5 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.25 $ | 4.50 $ | +38.5 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 2.25 $ | 5.00 $ | +122.2 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 25.00 $ | 55.00 $ | +120.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 4.23 $ | 5.18 $ | +22.4 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 37,383.69 $ | 32,000.00 $ | -14.4 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 27,211.87 $ | 27,336.48 $ | +0.5 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Chicago, IL Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 159.33 $ | 263.10 $ | +65.1 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 54.68 $ | 51.45 $ | -5.9 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 57.35 $ | 67.91 $ | +18.4 % |
Sports And Leisure | Chicago, IL Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 78.67 $ | 110.17 $ | +40.0 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 6.25 $ | 24.20 $ | +287.2 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 15.00 $ | 17.00 $ | +13.3 % |
Childcare | Chicago, IL Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,170.00 $ | 2,666.67 $ | +22.9 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 45,450.00 $ | 31,333.33 $ | -31.1 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Chicago, IL Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 60.03 $ | 63.27 $ | +5.4 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 53.75 $ | 51.73 $ | -3.8 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 97.19 $ | 109.09 $ | +12.2 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 128.06 $ | 140.42 $ | +9.6 % |
Rent Per Month | Chicago, IL Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,351.85 $ | 3,268.17 $ | +39.0 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,507.04 $ | 2,753.57 $ | +82.7 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,608.70 $ | 5,915.80 $ | +28.4 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,950.00 $ | 5,070.83 $ | +71.9 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Chicago, IL Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 334.28 $ | 1,287.07 $ | +285.0 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 260.01 $ | 1,142.26 $ | +339.3 % |
Salaries And Financing | Chicago, IL Edit |
San Francisco, CA Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,502.92 $ | 7,629.41 $ | +38.6 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.64 | 6.77 | +1.9 % |
| Last update: | April 2024 | April 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 233 | 208 |
Moving to Chicago, IL? Explore:
Moving to San Francisco, CA? Explore:
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 |
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 |