Chicago vs San Diego - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago San Diego
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2799
$3469
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6454
$7890
🏠 One person rent
$1702
$2370
🏘️ Family rent
$2727
$4148
🍽️ Food expenses
$702
$726
🚐 Transport expenses
$204
$179
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5210
$5254
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
3 km
🎓 Higher education
100
86
😀 Quality of life
97
93
🏙️ Population
2.75M
1.39M

The cost of living in Chicago is 19% less expensive than in San Diego. Cities ranked 394th and 43rd ($2799 vs $3469) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 338th and 33rd in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.9 months in Chicago compared to 1.5 months in San Diego. Ranked 2nd vs 26th best cities to live in the United States, and 16th vs 97th among the best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Chicago vs San Diego infographic

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Prices in Chicago vs San Diego

Prices for goods and services in Chicago and San Diego are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Chicago San Diego
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$19.2
$21.5
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$86.5
$85.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$15.1
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.36
$8.63
 Cappuccino
$5.6
$6.32
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.99
$3.03
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1993
$2499
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1414
$2053
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3215
$4569
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2313
$3654
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$108
$156
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$168
$240
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$64.8
$71
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.77%
6.43%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3645
$9580
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2499
$7151
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.48
$2.49
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$74.8
$71
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$17
$19.6
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.01
$1.25
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.08
$1.26
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$4.01
$3.92
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.93
$3.92
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.3
$6.16
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.4
$15.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.3
$13.1
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.8
$20.3
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.04
$4.5
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.8
$1.74
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.11
$4.03
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.56
$4.81
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.37
$2.56
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.76
$2.37
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.79
$1.58
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.14
$3.26
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.7
$16.6
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.81
$2.91
🚬 Cigarette pack
$16.5
$12.3
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$12.8
$14.9
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7
$9.97
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.84
$5.53
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.14
$2.47
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$68.2
$63.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$17.1
$17.9
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$135
$131
💇 Haircut, simple
$28.7
$30.4
👖 Brand Jeans
$61.8
$60.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$94.8
$108
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2032
$1745
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$23423
$28967

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2384
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2360
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2396
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2386
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2367
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2202
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2287
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2393
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2385
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2399
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2366
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2400
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2426
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2288
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2398
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2406
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2405
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2549
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2393
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2413
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2395
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$2030
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2327
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2392
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2379
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2462
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$2008
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2388
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2399
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2468
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2363
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2495
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2268
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2392
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2368
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2261
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2392
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1989
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2376
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2426

Cities near San Diego

Distance City Cost of living
4.2 km or 2.6 mi Coronado
$3195
7.2 km or 4.5 mi National
$3013
13 km or 7.8 mi Lemon Grove
$2932
14 km or 9 mi Chula Vista
$2972
14 km or 9 mi La Mesa
$2943
16 km or 9.8 mi Imperial Beach
$2909
18 km or 11 mi La Jolla
$2996
21 km or 13 mi El Cajon
$2988
24 km or 15 mi Tijuana
$1210
25 km or 15 mi Santee
$2887
30 km or 19 mi Poway
$2922
38 km or 24 mi Encinitas
$3066
40 km or 25 mi Las Delicias
$1063
43 km or 26 mi Rosarito Beach
$1055
46 km or 29 mi Escondido
$3215
47 km or 30 mi San Marcos
$2931
52 km or 33 mi Carlsbad
$3252
54 km or 33 mi Vista
$2930
57 km or 36 mi Oceanside
$3274
73 km or 46 mi Fallbrook
$2873
88 km or 55 mi Temecula
$2681
91 km or 57 mi San Clemente
$2967
95 km or 59 mi Murrieta
$3049
97 km or 61 mi Dana Point
$2994
98 km or 61 mi French Valley
$2715
99 km or 61 mi San Juan Capistrano
$3057
99 km or 61 mi Wildomar
$2776
104 km or 65 mi Laguna Niguel
$3490
107 km or 66 mi Laguna Beach
$3075
107 km or 67 mi Menifee
$2626
109 km or 68 mi Ensenada
$903
109 km or 68 mi Lake Elsinore
$2671
110 km or 68 mi Mission Viejo
$3585
110 km or 69 mi Laguna Hills
$3037
111 km or 69 mi Rancho Santa Margarita
$3014
114 km or 71 mi Aliso Viejo
$3450
114 km or 71 mi Lake Forest
$2539
115 km or 72 mi Hemet
$2742
119 km or 74 mi Perris
$2691
119 km or 74 mi Temescal Valley
$2782