on $100k a year, leaving San Francisco
changea dispatch from
chicago
IL
41.88°N
87.63°W
Chicago is deep-dish for tourists, thin-crust tavern style for locals, and a hot dog that absolutely will not have ketchup on it. The L rumbles overhead, the lakefront stretches for 18 unbroken miles of beach and trail, and the architecture boat tour is the single best $50 you'll spend. Summer in Chicago might be the best summer in America. The improv comedy gene pool is unmatched.
in our guides
the verdict
lighter monthly cost than San Francisco
Chicago sits well below San Francisco on cost. Same paycheck, a noticeably lighter month.
a quick ledger.
$2,170/mo
31% cheaper than San Francisco(vs $3,146/mo)
4.95%
$362/mo less in state tax than San Francisco
vs 9.3% in San Francisco
$5,751/mo
$1,339 more than San Francisco
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$365k
71% cheaper than San Francisco
vs $1239k in San Francisco
9.3M
vs 4.6M in San Francisco
field notes, weather & such.
153
pleasant days a year, in chicago.
San Francisco has the edge here, logging 312 pleasant days a year. Winter shows up, though: 38 days below 20° vs San Francisco's 0.
5.0× the events of San Francisco, and the calendar shows it.
70/100
16% lower than San Francisco
vs 83/100 in San Francisco
Closest outdoor draw: Indiana Dunes National Park, 27.2 mi.
100/100
1% higher than San Francisco
vs 99/100 in San Francisco
217
95% more than San Francisco
vs 111 nonstops in San Francisco
compare chicago with:
