Cost of Living Comparison Between San Diego, CA and Chicago, IL 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Chicago, IL is 4.9% lower than in San Diego, CA (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Chicago, IL is 11.2% lower than in San Diego, CA | |
| Rent Prices in Chicago, IL are 20.3% lower than in San Diego, CA | |
| Restaurant Prices in Chicago, IL are 0.6% higher than in San Diego, CA | |
| Groceries Prices in Chicago, IL are 5.2% higher than in San Diego, CA | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Chicago, IL is 12.7% higher than in San Diego, CA | |
Restaurants | San Diego, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 21.00 $ | 25.00 $ | +19.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 100.00 $ | 100.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 15.00 $ | 12.00 $ | -20.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 8.00 $ | 7.00 $ | -12.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 9.00 $ | 8.12 $ | -9.7 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.90 $ | 5.62 $ | -4.8 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.99 $ | 2.99 $ | +0.3 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.50 $ | 2.42 $ | -3.1 % |
Markets | San Diego, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.65 $ | 3.88 $ | -16.6 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.08 $ | 3.73 $ | -8.8 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.09 $ | 2.47 $ | +18.6 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 5.26 $ | 4.59 $ | -12.7 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.23 $ | 6.63 $ | +6.4 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 5.75 $ | 6.84 $ | +19.0 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 8.38 $ | 8.33 $ | -0.6 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.15 $ | 2.37 $ | +9.9 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.77 $ | 0.82 $ | +6.7 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.81 $ | 1.91 $ | +5.8 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.15 $ | 1.98 $ | -7.9 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.37 $ | 1.10 $ | -19.6 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.10 $ | 1.22 $ | +11.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.21 $ | 2.43 $ | +10.1 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.43 $ | 2.59 $ | +6.7 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | 15.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 1.79 $ | 2.42 $ | +35.1 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 2.50 $ | 3.70 $ | +48.0 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 12.00 $ | 15.00 $ | +25.0 % |
Transportation | San Diego, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.50 $ | 2.50 $ | 0.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 72.00 $ | 75.00 $ | +4.2 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.00 $ | 3.25 $ | +8.3 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 3.30 $ | 2.25 $ | -31.8 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 28.00 $ | 25.00 $ | -10.7 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 4.91 $ | 4.02 $ | -18.2 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 30,982.50 $ | 31,965.00 $ | +3.2 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 27,059.25 $ | 26,515.51 $ | -2.0 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | San Diego, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 277.55 $ | 191.66 $ | -30.9 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 66.79 $ | 61.90 $ | -7.3 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 77.72 $ | 65.19 $ | -16.1 % |
Sports And Leisure | San Diego, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 65.68 $ | 76.70 $ | +16.8 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 25.00 $ | 13.12 $ | -47.5 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 16.00 $ | 15.00 $ | -6.2 % |
Childcare | San Diego, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 1,741.67 $ | 2,056.25 $ | +18.1 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 28,750.00 $ | 39,114.29 $ | +36.0 % |
Clothing And Shoes | San Diego, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 58.81 $ | 60.68 $ | +3.2 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 56.30 $ | 51.15 $ | -9.1 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 99.91 $ | 94.52 $ | -5.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 115.71 $ | 150.59 $ | +30.1 % |
Rent Per Month | San Diego, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,703.93 $ | 2,319.57 $ | -14.2 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,354.13 $ | 1,533.50 $ | -34.9 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,913.96 $ | 4,554.55 $ | -7.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 4,050.00 $ | 2,770.45 $ | -31.6 % |
Buy Apartment Price | San Diego, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 846.65 $ | 315.84 $ | -62.7 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 644.63 $ | 245.25 $ | -62.0 % |
Salaries And Financing | San Diego, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,291.79 $ | 5,293.39 $ | +0.0 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.42 | 6.60 | +2.8 % |
| Last update: | May 2025 | May 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 149 | 247 |
Moving to San Diego, CA? Explore:
Moving to Chicago, IL? Explore:
Cities near San Diego, CA: | Cost of Living in Dana Point, California | 65.05 miles |
| Cost of Living in Irvine, California | 84.59 miles |
| Cost of Living in Santa Ana, California | 89.45 miles |
| Cost of Living in Westminster, California | 94.67 miles |
| Cost of Living in Huntington Beach, California | 95.47 miles |
| Cost of Living in Anaheim, California | 96.10 miles |
| Cost of Living in Riverside, California | 101.37 miles |
| Cost of Living in Long Beach, California | 105.35 miles |
| Cost of Living in San Bernardino, California | 106.85 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fontana, California | 108.10 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 Wheeling, Illinois | 29.29 miles |
| Cost of Living in Naperville, Illinois | 30.13 miles |