Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $4,342 in San Francisco, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco, CA
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San Francisco, CA Living Index
153

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

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San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,342

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,342 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $4,342
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $6,433 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $6,433
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $8,523 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $8,523
Chicago, IL $6,077

San Francisco, CA costs about 36% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both San Francisco, CA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – San Francisco, CA by 222%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.11 $27.11

$21.58 $21.58

25.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$88.7 $88.7

35.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 $15.06

$13.20 $13.20

14.09%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$5.59 $5.59

8.41%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.63 $2.63

22.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.26 $2.26

21.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 $7.83

$7.11 $7.11

10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.25 $9.25

$9.23 $9.23

0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.28 $1.28

34.37%

White Bread (500g)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.84 $3.84

40.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$5.07 $5.07

-6.11%

Eggs

$4.87 $4.87

$4.84 $4.84

0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.10 $16.10

$14.17 $14.17

13.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.32 $15.32

$14.61 $14.61

4.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.69 $22.69

$18.76 $18.76

20.95%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 $6.20

$5.19 $5.19

19.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.00 $2.00

41.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.00 $4.00

8.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$4.98 $4.98

33.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.79 $2.79

3.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.65 $2.65

40.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.13 $2.13

31.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$3.09 $3.09

-16.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.79 $11.79

$16.05 $16.05

-26.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.62 $14.62

$15.20 $15.20

-3.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.62 $2.62

18.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.46 $3.46

2.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.47 $2.47

17.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 $95.8

$75.1 $75.1

27.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.21 $3.21

31.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.39 $1.39

43.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.06 $39.06

$25.02 $25.02

56.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.24 $1.24

21.77%

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

$37.6K $37.6K

$37.2K $37.2K

1.25%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.52%

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

$214 $214

$192 $192

11.42%

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

$62.2 $62.2

$67.8 $67.8

-8.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.8 $76.8

$60.9 $60.9

26.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$122 $122

$53.6 $53.6

128.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.47 $21.47

$27.90 $27.90

-23.05%

Cinema Ticket

$17.99 $17.99

$17.80 $17.80

1.07%

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

$2,943 $2,943

$1,554 $1,554

89.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.7K $42.7K

$31.4K $31.4K

36.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 $76.5

$67.9 $67.9

12.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.33 $47.33

$50.8 $50.8

-6.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

-0.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$143 $143

-2.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,749 $3,749

$2,383 $2,383

57.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,617 $2,617

$1,712 $1,712

52.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,734 $5,734

$4,674 $4,674

22.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,530 $4,530

$2,738 $2,738

65.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,861 $9,861

$4,158 $4,158

137.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,520 $7,520

$2,691 $2,691

179.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,548 $6,548

$4,894 $4,894

33.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

6.77

-0.15%

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

Last update for San Francisco, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Francisco, CA

$2.6K 60.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 34.6% $905

Groceries & Markets

San Francisco, CA

$512 11.8%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 11.8% $60

Eating Out

San Francisco, CA

$416 9.6%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 15.2% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Francisco, CA

$353 8.1%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 9.1% $32

Clothing & Footwear

San Francisco, CA

$164 3.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 0.4% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

San Francisco, CA

$158 3.6%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 43.6% $69

Getting Around

San Francisco, CA

$122 2.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 21.8% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,749 in San Francisco, CA versus $2,383 in Chicago, IL. 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 34% higher in San Francisco, 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 $120 in San Francisco, CA versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $512 vs $451 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

09:17 9:17 AM

11:17 11:17 AM

2 h ahead of San Francisco, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

873,965

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

San Francisco, CA Chicago, IL 2,990 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Francisco, CA
Chicago, IL

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,342 in San Francisco, CA, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 36% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,513 per month in San Francisco, CA and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. 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 13% more in San Francisco, 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 $120 in San Francisco, CA and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. 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 $4,342 in San Francisco, CA and $3,185 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. San Francisco, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,185 in Chicago, IL to $4,342 in San Francisco, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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