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Chicago vs San Francisco: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Chicago is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 12% lower than in San Francisco, and housing runs 74% lower. San Francisco pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $74,500 against $54,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in San Francisco ($64,000 against $53,000 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Chicago runs 10% lower than San Francisco overall, and housing runs 42% lower.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in San Francisco, you need about $89,500 in Chicago. To keep $100,000 from Chicago, you need about $111,500 in San Francisco.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $54,500 in Chicago, $74,500 in San Francisco.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $132,000 in Chicago, $205,000 in San Francisco.
- Open postings in our data: 5,914 in Chicago from 845 employers, 17,941 in San Francisco from 1,504 employers.
- Unemployment: 5.2% in Chicago, 4.6% in San Francisco (BLS).
Chicago and San Francisco side by side
| Measure | Chicago | San Francisco | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 115.6 | Chicago |
| Housing price level | 112 | 194.7 | Chicago |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $54,500 | $74,500 | San Francisco |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $53,000 | $64,000 | San Francisco |
| Median pay in open postings | $132,000 | $205,000 | San Francisco |
| Postings that list pay | 46.2% | 73.7% | San Francisco |
| Open postings in our data | 5,914 | 17,941 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 845 | 1,504 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 5.2% | 4.6% | San Francisco |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 30.3% | 47% | Chicago |
| Median days a posting has been open | 30 | 56 | Chicago |
| Entry-level share of postings | 11.1% | 6.2% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 8.2% | 21.5% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | -13.6% | -28.6% | Chicago |
"Edge" shows which area looks better on that measure (lower prices, higher pay, lower unemployment, fewer stale postings); counts and shares have no edge. Within 2% counts as about the same.
Cost of living
Chicago prices sit 103.6 against a US average of 100 and San Francisco at 115.6. The biggest difference is housing: 112 in Chicago against 194.7 in San Francisco. Utilities are 52% lower in Chicago. The index covers goods and services including rent and home costs, so it measures what a typical household spends, not what your own budget looks like.
| Price level (US = 100) | Chicago | San Francisco | Chicago vs San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 103.6 | 115.6 | 10% lower |
| Housing | 112 | 194.7 | 42% lower |
| Goods | 107.3 | 108.5 | 1% lower |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 172.6 | 52% lower |
| Other services | 100.5 | 106.2 | 5% lower |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from San Francisco to Chicago; the right half moves it the other way. "If only housing moved" uses the housing price level alone, for someone whose biggest cost is rent or a mortgage.
| Salary in San Francisco | Matching salary in Chicago | If only housing moved | Salary in Chicago | Matching salary in San Francisco | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $45,000 | $29,000 | $50,000 | $56,000 | $87,000 |
| $75,000 | $67,000 | $43,000 | $75,000 | $83,500 | $130,500 |
| $100,000 | $89,500 | $57,500 | $100,000 | $111,500 | $174,000 |
| $125,000 | $112,000 | $72,000 | $125,000 | $139,500 | $217,500 |
| $150,000 | $134,500 | $86,500 | $150,000 | $167,500 | $261,000 |
| $200,000 | $179,000 | $115,000 | $200,000 | $223,000 | $347,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $43.08 an hour in Chicago for someone earning $100,000 in San Francisco.
Pay for the same job
Across the 58 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Chicago for 2 and higher in San Francisco for 56. After local prices are counted, Chicago comes out ahead in 7 and San Francisco in 51. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is registered nurses: $100,500 in Chicago against $186,600 in San Francisco.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Chicago median | San Francisco median | Chicago adjusted for prices | San Francisco adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $38,200 | $36,000 | $36,900 | $31,100 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $40,600 | $48,400 | $39,100 | $41,900 |
| General and Operations Managers | $109,400 | $150,000 | $105,600 | $129,700 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $34,600 | $43,900 | $33,400 | $37,900 |
| Registered Nurses | $100,500 | $186,600 | $97,000 | $161,400 |
| Cashiers | $35,000 | $41,300 | $33,800 | $35,700 |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,800 | $43,900 | $34,600 | $37,900 |
| Software Developers | $134,400 | $186,600 | $129,700 | $161,400 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $38,500 | $45,100 | $37,100 | $39,000 |
| Office Clerks, General | $46,300 | $52,000 | $44,700 | $45,000 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $38,500 | $44,200 | $37,100 | $38,200 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $47,100 | $57,800 | $45,500 | $50,000 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $70,700 | $97,000 | $68,300 | $83,900 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $31,200 | $38,900 | $30,100 | $33,600 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $62,300 | $66,500 | $60,100 | $57,500 |
Median annual wage for everyone in the occupation, all employers, May 2025 (BLS). "Adjusted" divides the wage by the area's price level (BEA, US = 100), so dollars are comparable.
Pay employers are offering right now
The wages above are what people earn in jobs they already hold. Open postings show what employers are offering today. In the job families where both areas have at least 15 postings that list pay, the median listed salary is higher in Chicago for 0 of 12 and higher in San Francisco for 12. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | Chicago median listed pay | Postings | San Francisco median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software developers | $192,000 | 84 | $231,000 | 2016 |
| Sales | $123,500 | 346 | $180,000 | 869 |
| Product and design | $147,500 | 66 | $211,500 | 773 |
| Marketing | $132,500 | 105 | $190,000 | 722 |
| Operations and logistics | $107,500 | 113 | $187,500 | 526 |
| Software engineering | $183,000 | 52 | $220,000 | 555 |
| Security and IT | $153,000 | 33 | $235,000 | 523 |
| Finance and accounting | $137,500 | 62 | $191,000 | 383 |
| Legal and compliance | $175,000 | 75 | $226,500 | 330 |
| People and recruiting | $121,500 | 28 | $170,000 | 309 |
| Engineering (other) | $114,000 | 38 | $175,000 | 231 |
| Customer support and success | $101,000 | 54 | $170,500 | 205 |
Only postings that list a salary are counted. Median of the middle of each listed range. Job families need at least 15 such postings in both areas to appear.
Who is hiring
Chicago's postings lean toward healthcare & life sciences (17.5%), while San Francisco's lean toward software & technology (56%). The mix matters because pay and hiring conditions differ a lot by industry.
- Largest posters in Chicago: Ntrs (203), Blueskytelepsych (141), DoorDash USA (99), Meijer (89), Arco (78).
- Largest posters in San Francisco: OpenAI (1,124), Anthropic (473), Crusoe (292), Flyzipline (264), DoorDash USA (234).
Counts are open postings on each employer's own career page in our data; one big employer can shape a local market.
The job market
- Postings have been open a median of 30 days in Chicago and 56 in San Francisco; 30.3% and 47% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 11.1% of postings in Chicago and 6.2% in San Francisco; senior and above are 41.6% and 54.3%.
- Fully remote roles are 8.2% of postings in Chicago and 21.5% in San Francisco.
- Indeed's postings index sits 13.6% below its February 2020 level in Chicago and 28.6% below in San Francisco.
- 46.2% of postings in Chicago list pay, against 73.7% in San Francisco.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Chicago) stretches it further: $100,000 in San Francisco has the buying power of about $89,500 in Chicago.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, San Francisco comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($64,000 against $53,000).
- Software developers: median listed pay is $192,000 in Chicago and $231,000 in San Francisco, which is $185,500 and $199,500 in average-US dollars.
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (112 vs 194.7) matters more than the overall index.
No place is better for everyone. Taxes, commute, schools, climate and your own spending are not in these numbers.
Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Chicago or San Francisco?
Chicago is cheaper. Overall prices run 12% lower than in San Francisco, and housing runs 74% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in Chicago to match $100,000 in San Francisco?
About $89,500 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (103.6 in Chicago, 115.6 in San Francisco). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Chicago or San Francisco?
San Francisco has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $74,500 against $54,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, San Francisco has the higher paycheck power: $64,000 against $53,000 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, San Francisco has more: 17,941 against 5,914. This is a sample of employer postings, not a census of every job.
Where do these numbers come from?
Prices come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, wages and unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and postings from employers' own career pages, collected October 2026. Every figure on this page is in a table or chart above.
More on these places
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: all the data
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: all the data
- Compare them in the interactive tool
- Cost-of-living ranking · Paycheck power ranking
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Updated October 2026. Prices only: taxes and personal spending are not included. Price levels: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024. Wages and unemployment: Bureau of Labor Statistics (wages May 2025). Postings: employers' own career pages, October 2026. Methodology