San Diego vs Chicago Cost of Living
San Diego (United States) · Overall index 80.0 — Chicago (United States) · Overall index 74.6
Summary
- Overall, Chicago is 7% cheaper than San Diego.
- Rent in Chicago is 17% cheaper than in San Diego.
- Transport in Chicago is 10% cheaper than in San Diego.
| Item | San Diego | Chicago | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -17% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,906 | $2,414 | -17% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,560 | $1,482 | -5% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,348 | $4,031 | -25% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $3,541 | $2,862 | -19% |
| Groceries | -4% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.29 | $1.25 | -3% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.77 | $3.47 | -8% |
| Rice (1kg) | $4.26 | $4.76 | +12% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.41 | $4.23 | -4% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $14.8 | $13 | -12% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12.7 | $10.4 | -18% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $19.1 | $19.2 | +1% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.14 | $5.05 | -2% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.82 | $1.88 | +3% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.98 | $4.74 | +19% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.15 | $5.43 | +5% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.07 | $2.6 | -15% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.92 | $2.33 | -20% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.36 | $2.27 | -4% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.61 | $2.2 | -16% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $15.1 | $15.8 | +5% |
| Transport | -10% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.68 | $2.26 | -16% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $122 | $108 | -11% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.68 | $3.52 | -4% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.86 | $1.59 | -15% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.87 | $0.82 | -6% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $26,442 | $24,668 | -7% |
| Dining out | -1% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $22.6 | $20.5 | -9% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $107 | $118 | +10% |
| Fast food combo meal | $11.9 | $9.8 | -18% |
| Cappuccino | $5.18 | $4.47 | -14% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.16 | $2.58 | +19% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.99 | $5.87 | -2% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $7.37 | $7.42 | +1% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.87 | $2.09 | +12% |
| Telecom | +2% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $63.4 | $54.4 | -14% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $55.3 | $66.4 | +20% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.31 | $0.29 | -6% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.3 | $15 | +13% |
| Utilities & household | -3% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $153 | $152 | -1% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.2 | $0.2 | 0% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.02 | $4.14 | +3% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.46 | $1.24 | -15% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $20.8 | $21.7 | +4% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $79.6 | $74.1 | -7% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $15.3 | $15 | -2% |
| Men's haircut | $27.1 | $30 | +11% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $26.6 | $24.1 | -9% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,070 | $1,761 | -15% |
3,072 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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