Chicago vs San Diego - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago San Diego
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2851
$3486
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6527
$7909
🏠 One person rent
$1714
$2368
🏘️ Family rent
$2737
$4139
🍽️ Food expenses
$704
$735
🚐 Transport expenses
$212
$181
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5090
$5217
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
3 km
🎓 Higher education
100
86
😀 Quality of life
95
91
🏙️ Population
2.75M
1.39M

The cost of living in Chicago is 18% less expensive than in San Diego. Cities ranked 358th and 52nd ($2851 vs $3486) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 300th and 39th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 1.5 months in San Diego. Ranked 3rd vs 38th best cities to live in the United States, and 18th vs 155th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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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
$19.6
$22.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$84.3
$84.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12.7
$15
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.35
$8.97
☕ Cappuccino
$6.06
$6.34
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.85
$3.17
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2011
$2489
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1414
$2046
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3203
$4508
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2316
$3643
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$117
$162
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$180
$251
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$63.3
$71.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.32%
6.31%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3899
$8050
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2568
$6577
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.51
$2.5
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$82.6
$71.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.5
$19.7
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.12
$1.37
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.2
$1.38
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.67
$4.32
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.62
$3.81
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.11
$7.04
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.2
$16
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.5
$13.1
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.1
$20.7
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.78
$4.24
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.86
$1.77
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.96
$4.14
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.01
$4.77
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.39
$2.64
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.63
$2.63
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.79
$1.5
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.71
$3.26
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16
$16.6
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.02
$3
🚬 Cigarette pack
$17.4
$12.2
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.6
$15.2
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.05
$9.97
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.22
$5.48
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.31
$2.47
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$74.6
$72.2
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$17
$19.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$177
$131
💇 Haircut, simple
$32.8
$30.2
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.9
$66.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$105
$112
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1582
$1937
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$27880
$22295

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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
$2444
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2399
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2440
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2425
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2423
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2232
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2309
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2454
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2430
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2463
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2376
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2394
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2461
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2323
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2444
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2483
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2436
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2569
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2436
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2508
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2425
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1751
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2440
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2443
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2439
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2580
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1761
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2429
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2400
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2508
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2463
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2543
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2418
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2438
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2425
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2406
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2418
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1784
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2423
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2453

Cities near San Diego

Distance City Cost of living
4.2 km or 2.6 mi Coronado
$3269
7.2 km or 4.5 mi National
$3094
13 km or 7.8 mi Lemon Grove
$3023
14 km or 9 mi Chula Vista
$3033
14 km or 9 mi La Mesa
$2997
16 km or 9.8 mi Imperial Beach
$2984
18 km or 11 mi La Jolla
$3065
21 km or 13 mi El Cajon
$3077
24 km or 15 mi Tijuana
$1276
25 km or 15 mi Santee
$2956
30 km or 19 mi Poway
$3012
38 km or 24 mi Encinitas
$3265
40 km or 25 mi Las Delicias
$1126
43 km or 26 mi Rosarito Beach
$1108
46 km or 29 mi Escondido
$3274
47 km or 30 mi San Marcos
$3008
52 km or 33 mi Carlsbad
$3269
54 km or 33 mi Vista
$3011
57 km or 36 mi Oceanside
$3221
73 km or 46 mi Fallbrook
$2984
88 km or 55 mi Temecula
$2690
91 km or 57 mi San Clemente
$2994
95 km or 59 mi Murrieta
$3137
97 km or 61 mi Dana Point
$3051
98 km or 61 mi French Valley
$2799
99 km or 61 mi San Juan Capistrano
$3075
99 km or 61 mi Wildomar
$2850
104 km or 65 mi Laguna Niguel
$3492
107 km or 66 mi Laguna Beach
$3129
107 km or 67 mi Menifee
$2646
109 km or 68 mi Ensenada
$967
109 km or 68 mi Lake Elsinore
$2663
110 km or 68 mi Mission Viejo
$3520
110 km or 69 mi Laguna Hills
$3064
111 km or 69 mi Rancho Santa Margarita
$2984
114 km or 71 mi Aliso Viejo
$3503
114 km or 71 mi Lake Forest
$2598
115 km or 72 mi Hemet
$2768
119 km or 74 mi Perris
$2738
119 km or 74 mi Temescal Valley
$2826