Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and San Diego, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $4,077 in San Diego, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
197

Cost of Living Index in San Diego, CA
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San Diego, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,077

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in San Diego, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chicago, IL and in San Diego, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,077 in San Diego, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
San Diego, CA $4,077

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,059 in San Diego, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
San Diego, CA $6,059

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $8,041 in San Diego, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
San Diego, CA $8,041

Chicago, IL is about 22% cheaper than San Diego, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and San Diego, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, San Diego, CA by 202%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$24.72 $24.72

-12.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$97.7 $97.7

-9.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$13.25 $13.25

-0.38%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.96 $5.96

-6.21%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.12 $3.12

-15.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.62 $2.62

-13.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$8.14 $8.14

-12.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$11.11 $11.11

-16.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.37 $1.37

-6.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$5.58 $5.58

-31.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$4.70 $4.70

7.87%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$6.77 $6.77

-28.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$17.12 $17.12

-17.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$14.30 $14.30

2.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$20.72 $20.72

-9.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.62 $4.62

12.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.86 $1.86

7.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.32 $4.32

-7.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.08 $5.08

-1.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.11 $3.11

-10.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.70 $2.70

-1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.12 $2.12

0.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.01 $2.01

53.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$11.74 $11.74

36.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$16.72 $16.72

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.16 $2.16

21.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.20 $3.20

8.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

$73.4 $73.4

2.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.99 $2.99

7.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.09 $2.09

-33.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$28.38 $28.38

-11.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.55 $1.55

-20.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.2K $37.2K

$37.0K $37.0K

0.50%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

0.74%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$192 $192

$256 $256

-24.95%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$67.8 $67.8

$73.9 $73.9

-8.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$84.4 $84.4

-27.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$72.9 $72.9

-26.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$24.09 $24.09

15.82%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$20.21 $20.21

-11.92%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,554 $1,554

$1,968 $1,968

-21.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

-12.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$68.4 $68.4

-0.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$54.7 $54.7

-7.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$114 $114

-11.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$146 $146

-1.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$3,210 $3,210

-25.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$2,410 $2,410

-28.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$5,499 $5,499

-15.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$4,336 $4,336

-36.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$8,110 $8,110

-48.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$6,682 $6,682

-59.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$4,975 $4,975

-1.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.7

1.04%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Diego, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

San Diego, CA

$2.4K 59.1% 40.8% $698

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

San Diego, CA

$475 11.7% 5.4% $24

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

San Diego, CA

$395 9.7% 11.9% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

San Diego, CA

$414 10.2% 29.1% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

San Diego, CA

$172 4.2% 5.5% $9

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

San Diego, CA

$97 2.4% 1.7% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

San Diego, CA

$113 2.8% 27% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $3,210 in San Diego, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2% higher in San Diego, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $98.0 in San Diego, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $475 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🕒 Local time

22:25 10:25 PM

20:25 8:25 PM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

1,386,932

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL San Diego, CA 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
San Diego, CA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chicago, IL vs San Diego, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL, $4,077 in San Diego, CA – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $6,116 in San Diego, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in San Diego, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $98.0 in San Diego, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,185 in Chicago, IL and $4,077 in San Diego, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. San Diego, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,185 in Chicago, IL to $4,077 in San Diego, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Diego, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.