Cost of Living: San Francisco, CA vs Chicago, IL
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in San Francisco, CA versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 35.25% of gross in San Francisco, CA versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Chicago, IL tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between San Francisco, CA and Chicago, IL.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Chicago, IL
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Chicago, IL
- Lower home prices: Chicago, IL
- Higher median household income: San Francisco, CA
Cost of Living Index
San Francisco, CA: 225.8 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)
Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than San Francisco, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
San Francisco, CA: $2,298/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo
Median rent in San Francisco, CA is $975/mo higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Home Price
San Francisco, CA: $1,380,500 · Chicago, IL: $147,800
Median home price in San Francisco, CA is $1,232,700 higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Household Income
San Francisco, CA: $141,446 · Chicago, IL: $56,815
San Francisco, CA has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $84,631.
San Francisco, CA overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons