✦ Compare
San Diego vs
Chicago
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
To keep the same standard of living in Chicago, IL, you'd need
$63,574 / year
Chicago, IL is 15% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Chicago, IL vs San Diego, CA)
- Housing-28%
- Food & groceries-6%
- Transport-13%
- Utilities-4%
- Healthcare-2%
- Goods & services-6%
Median 1-bed rent
$2,500 /mo
San Diego, CA overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$1,900 /mo
Chicago, IL overview →
▤ Full comparison
| San Diego, CA | Chicago, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 134 | 113 |
| Housing | 178 | 128 |
| Food | 112 | 105 |
| Transport | 128 | 112 |
| Utilities | 104 | 100 |
| Healthcare | 110 | 108 |
| Goods & services | 115 | 108 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $2,500/mo | $1,900/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,900/mo | $1,450/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $4,600/mo | $3,600/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $9,000 | $5,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $747 | $881 |
| Inexpensive meal | $20 | $18 |
| Monthly transit pass | $72 | $105 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 37% | 37% |
| VAT / sales tax | 0% | 0% |
| Social security (employee) | 7.7% | 7.7% |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 21% |
| Capital gains | 20% | 20% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $4,300/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,257/mo | $1,257/mo |
| GDP per capita | $82,000 | $82,000 |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Native | Native |
| Coworking spaces | 60 | 90 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 | UTC-6 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 55 | 48 |
| Healthcare index | 78 | 80 |
| Pollution index | 40 | 45 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 60 | 78 |
| Public transport | 50 | 78 |
| Family-friendly | 65 | 60 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $470/mo | $450/mo |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr | 79 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +14 °C | -4 °C |
| July avg | +22 °C | +24 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 266 | 189 |
| Rainfall / year | 260 mm | 950 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Is San Diego cheaper than Chicago?
Chicago is about 15% cheaper than San Diego overall — its cost-of-living index is 113 versus 134 for San Diego.
How much do you need to earn in Chicago to live like in San Diego?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in San Diego is worth about $63,574 in Chicago. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, San Diego or Chicago?
Both cities are in the same country, so national income tax (37%) and VAT are identical; only local cost of living differs.
◷ More comparisons from San Diego
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.