San Francisco vs Chicago Cost of Living
San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1 — Chicago (United States) · Overall index 74.6
Summary
- Overall, Chicago is 22% cheaper than San Francisco.
- Rent in Chicago is 40% cheaper than in San Francisco.
- Transport in Chicago is 19% cheaper than in San Francisco.
| Item | San Francisco | Chicago | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -40% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,208 | $2,414 | -25% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,609 | $1,482 | -43% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $7,487 | $4,031 | -46% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $4,864 | $2,862 | -41% |
| Groceries | -12% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.31 | $1.25 | -5% |
| White bread (500g) | $4.2 | $3.47 | -17% |
| Rice (1kg) | $5.82 | $4.76 | -18% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.57 | $4.23 | -7% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $16.3 | $13 | -20% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12.6 | $10.4 | -17% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $22.3 | $19.2 | -14% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.88 | $5.05 | -14% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $2.46 | $1.88 | -24% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.54 | $4.74 | +4% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.5 | $5.43 | -1% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.06 | $2.6 | -15% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.72 | $2.33 | -14% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.75 | $2.27 | -17% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.41 | $2.2 | -9% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $15.4 | $15.8 | +3% |
| Transport | -19% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $3.1 | $2.26 | -27% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $139 | $108 | -22% |
| Taxi, base fare | $4.48 | $3.52 | -21% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.91 | $1.59 | -17% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.99 | $0.82 | -17% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $27,640 | $24,668 | -11% |
| Dining out | -14% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $21.5 | $20.5 | -5% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $115 | $118 | +3% |
| Fast food combo meal | $11.6 | $9.8 | -16% |
| Cappuccino | $5.52 | $4.47 | -19% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.04 | $2.58 | -15% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $8.59 | $5.87 | -32% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $8.71 | $7.42 | -15% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.32 | $2.09 | -10% |
| Telecom | -14% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $68.5 | $54.4 | -21% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $71.8 | $66.4 | -8% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.37 | $0.29 | -22% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $15.8 | $15 | -5% |
| Utilities & household | -16% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $176 | $152 | -14% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.23 | $0.2 | -13% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $5.1 | $4.14 | -19% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.47 | $1.24 | -16% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $25.8 | $21.7 | -16% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $94.8 | $74.1 | -22% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $17.5 | $15 | -14% |
| Men's haircut | $33.2 | $30 | -10% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $29.6 | $24.1 | -19% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,199 | $1,761 | -20% |
3,332 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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