Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco, CA and Chicago, IL 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Chicago, IL are 19.3% lower than in San Francisco, CA (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Chicago, IL are 27.4% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Rent Prices in Chicago, IL are 37.0% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Restaurant Prices in Chicago, IL are 17.0% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Groceries Prices in Chicago, IL are 21.3% lower than in San Francisco, CA | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Chicago, IL is 21.5% 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 $ | 7.50 $ | -6.2 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.16 $ | 5.15 $ | -0.1 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.80 $ | 2.61 $ | -6.9 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.28 $ | 2.20 $ | -3.5 % |
Markets | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 5.80 $ | 3.38 $ | -41.7 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.14 $ | 2.99 $ | -27.8 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.33 $ | 1.80 $ | -22.5 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 4.94 $ | 4.02 $ | -18.6 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 8.53 $ | 6.38 $ | -25.2 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 7.53 $ | 5.52 $ | -26.7 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 8.57 $ | 7.55 $ | -11.8 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.99 $ | 2.45 $ | -17.9 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.54 $ | 0.74 $ | -52.1 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.22 $ | 1.68 $ | -24.3 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.92 $ | 1.94 $ | -33.6 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.98 $ | 0.97 $ | -51.0 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.61 $ | 1.00 $ | -38.0 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.78 $ | 1.86 $ | -33.1 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.44 $ | 2.15 $ | -11.8 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | 15.00 $ | -0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.78 $ | 2.71 $ | -2.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.85 $ | 4.18 $ | +8.5 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 13.50 $ | 15.00 $ | +11.1 % |
Transportation | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.75 $ | 2.50 $ | -9.1 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 88.00 $ | 77.50 $ | -11.9 % |
| 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) | 5.96 $ | 4.34 $ | -27.2 % |
| 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 | 254.27 $ | 164.26 $ | -35.4 % |
| 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) | 67.40 $ | 65.50 $ | -2.8 % |
Sports And Leisure | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 101.09 $ | 64.85 $ | -35.9 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 18.28 $ | 9.38 $ | -48.7 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 16.50 $ | 15.00 $ | -9.1 % |
Childcare | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,450.00 $ | 1,784.74 $ | -27.2 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 33,071.00 $ | 21,664.64 $ | -34.5 % |
Clothing And Shoes | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 64.89 $ | 58.57 $ | -9.7 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 45.96 $ | 39.10 $ | -14.9 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 88.61 $ | 90.09 $ | +1.7 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 120.61 $ | 113.53 $ | -5.9 % |
Rent Per Month | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 3,282.00 $ | 2,045.81 $ | -37.7 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,579.66 $ | 1,438.85 $ | -44.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 5,748.04 $ | 4,061.90 $ | -29.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 4,404.50 $ | 2,547.73 $ | -42.2 % |
Buy Apartment Price | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,074.84 $ | 382.14 $ | -64.4 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 958.17 $ | 254.50 $ | -73.4 % |
Salaries And Financing | San Francisco, CA Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,084.22 $ | 5,367.54 $ | -11.8 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 5.02 | 5.63 | +12.2 % |
| Last update: | February 2023 | February 2023 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 214 | 235 |
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 |