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 | Chico | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,360/mo | $2,316/mo | 41.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $427,600 | $1,348,700 | 68.3% lower in A |
| Median household income | $65,932 | $136,689 | 51.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 103.5 | 58.2 | 77.7% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 124.1 | 62.4 | 98.9% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 103.3 | 59.8 | 72.6% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 102.2 | 38.9 | 162.6% 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 Chico, you'd need $102,679 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chico, CA is about 2.6% cheaper overall than San Francisco, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 41% lower in Chico than in San Francisco. If you earn $80,000 in Chico, you'd need about $82,143 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.