At a glance
San Francisco is 11.6% more expensive than Chicago on BEA’s overall price index, and median rent is $1,044 a month higher in San Francisco.
Price parity is 103.6 in Chicago and 115.6 in San Francisco (U.S. = 100); median gross rent is $1,430 and $2,474 a month.
Price index and rent come from different surveys and describe metro averages; neither predicts a household’s own costs.
Sources: BLS wages (May 2025) · BEA price parity (2024) · Census ACS (2020–2024) · metro areas, not city limits · How we calculate
Cost of living: Chicago vs. San Francisco
Using 2024 BEA regional price parities, San Francisco has an all-items metro price level about 11.6% higher than Chicago relative to the same national benchmark. This is a ratio of broad price indexes, not a forecast of what a specific household would spend. San Francisco has a $1,044 higher reported monthly metro-wide median gross rent than Chicago. The two measures point in the same direction for these metros, but they cover different baskets and populations.
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| Official metro indicator | Chicago | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| BEA 2024 all-items price parity | 103.6 | 115.6 |
| ACS 2020–2024 median gross rent / month | $1,430 | $2,474 |
| ACS gross-rent margin of error | ± $6 | ± $12 |
| ACS median household income (± MOE) | $90,887 ± $454 | $136,027 ± $1,102 |
| ACS 45+ minute commute share | 23.5% | 24.5% |
These figures cover the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metropolitan areas, not the named cities alone. ACS gross rent includes estimated utilities and is not an asking rent; sampling uncertainty means small gaps may not be meaningful.
What a salary in Chicago is worth in San Francisco
BEA’s 2024 all-items parity is 103.6 for Chicago and 115.6 for San Francisco, so matching on that index takes about 11.6% more gross pay in San Francisco than in Chicago. Twelve months of median gross rent is 18.9% of median household income in Chicago and 21.8% in San Francisco (renter rent over all-household income, so a rough contrast rather than a budget).
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| Gross pay in Chicago | Same index value in San Francisco | Gross pay in San Francisco | Same index value in Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $55,800 | $50,000 | $44,802 |
| $75,000 | $83,701 | $75,000 | $67,204 |
| $100,000 | $111,601 | $100,000 | $89,605 |
| $150,000 | $167,401 | $150,000 | $134,407 |
| $200,000 | $223,202 | $200,000 | $179,210 |
Equal index value is not equal take-home pay: taxes, benefits and housing choices differ.
Median gross rents differ by $1,044 a month ($12,528 over twelve months). That gap is already part of the price index, so do not subtract it again; use real quotes in the worksheet.
How do salaries differ between Chicago and San Francisco?
79 of 80 curated occupations have a reported annual median wage in both metros. The 12 examples below are the most common jobs in the smaller metro, not the highest- or lowest-paid.
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| BLS occupation | Chicago median | San Francisco median | Chicago adjusted | San Francisco adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | $109,390 | $149,990 | $105,594 | $129,735 |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $186,610 | $97,003 | $161,409 |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $186,640 | $129,717 | $161,435 |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,820 | $43,850 | $34,577 | $37,928 |
| Office Clerks, General | $46,330 | $52,000 | $44,722 | $44,978 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $40,550 | $48,400 | $39,143 | $41,864 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $110,730 | $79,502 | $95,776 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $80,400 | $123,250 | $77,610 | $106,606 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $173,760 | $232,890 | $167,730 | $201,439 |
| Management Analysts | $105,090 | $126,730 | $101,443 | $109,616 |
| Project Management Specialists | $105,320 | $135,040 | $101,665 | $116,803 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $50,440 | $62,110 | $48,690 | $53,722 |
The price-adjusted wage equals the BLS May 2025 annual occupational median × 100 ÷ the BEA 2024 all-items regional price parity. Census rent, household income and commuting figures are ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. They describe different populations and do not determine take-home pay, employment prospects or individual rent. ACS gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated utility and fuel costs.
What changes after adjusting wages for regional prices?
Among the 12 displayed, matched BLS occupations, 0 have a different leading metro for nominal versus price-adjusted median wages, and 12 keep the same leader. Adjusted values divide each median by the metro’s BEA parity; they are not tax-adjusted.
Where the price-adjusted gap is largest
Across the 79 occupations with a reported median in both metros, Chicago has the higher price-adjusted median in 12 and San Francisco in 67. For the typical occupation (the median of the occupation-by-occupation differences), the adjusted median in Chicago is 13.3% lower than in San Francisco.
The table lists the eight occupations with the largest percentage differences, in either direction. A large gap can reflect a small local employer base, so check the career page before drawing conclusions.
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| BLS occupation | Chicago adjusted | San Francisco adjusted | Higher in | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Web and Digital Interface Designers | $84,869 | $141,688 | San Francisco | 66.9% |
| Registered Nurses | $97,003 | $161,409 | San Francisco | 66.4% |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $79,290 | $122,633 | San Francisco | 54.7% |
| Nurse Practitioners | $127,168 | $189,494 | San Francisco | 49.0% |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $99,792 | $67,363 | Chicago | 48.1% |
| Mechanical Engineers | $98,528 | $139,578 | San Francisco | 41.7% |
| Data Scientists | $103,905 | $147,137 | San Francisco | 41.6% |
| Web Developers | $93,508 | $131,862 | San Francisco | 41.0% |
Difference is the gap relative to the lower of the two adjusted medians.
Which jobs are more common in Chicago or San Francisco
Raw employment counts mostly track metro size. To compare, this table divides BLS estimated employment by ACS commuting workers (jobs per 10,000 commuters). Of the 75 occupations with at least 1,000 estimated workers in both metros, these are the most over-represented in each.
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| BLS occupation | Chicago per 10,000 | San Francisco per 10,000 | More common in | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machinists | 29.5 | 9.2 | Chicago | 3.2× |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 413.6 | 175.1 | Chicago | 2.4× |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 24.4 | 11.3 | Chicago | 2.2× |
| Web and Digital Interface Designers | 3.9 | 37.8 | San Francisco | 9.8× |
| Software Developers | 105.7 | 393.6 | San Francisco | 3.7× |
| Architectural and Civil Drafters | 2.7 | 10.0 | San Francisco | 3.7× |
A rough size scaling, not a formal location quotient. Employment estimates are not job openings.
Investigate a specific career before deciding
Open the dashboard with a role and both metros already selected. Amounts you enter stay in your browser.
Moving between Chicago and San Francisco: what should you check?
The checklist works in either direction. Get written offers and current rent quotes for the neighborhoods you would consider; metro medians are not listings. The full offer checklist covers taxes, benefits and one-time costs.