City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Chicago | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $2,316/mo | 43.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $1,348,700 | 77.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $136,689 | 47.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.2 | 58.2 | 67.0% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 62.4 | 48.1% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 59.8 | 64.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 97.4 | 38.9 | 150.3% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Chicago, you'd need $176,252 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 43.3% cheaper overall than San Francisco, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 43% lower in Chicago than in San Francisco. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $141,002 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.