City comparison
Chicago, IL vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 11.6% higher than in Chicago, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Chicago, IL would need about $111,600 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,581 in Chicago, IL. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 26% in Chicago, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $265 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Chicago, IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.8% moving from Chicago, IL to San Francisco, CA ($118,984 → $133,060), while prices change by +11.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.2% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Chicago, IL | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,601 in San Francisco | $89,605 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.4%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$265/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Chicago, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.6%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$265/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Chicago → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $77,161 | +0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $93,358 | +0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $111,896 | +0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $133,060 | +0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $157,236 | +0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $101,860 | $91,272 (+16.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $186,640 | $167,239 (+24.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $110,730 | $99,220 (+20.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $186,610 | $167,212 (+66.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.