TL;DRChicago is 30% cheaper on rent ($2,388/mo vs $3,413/mo). San Francisco is safer — homicide rate 4.4 vs 17.5 per 100k. Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.

Too close to call — 56 vs 53. San Francisco has a slight edge, but Chicago might suit you better depending on your priorities.

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇺🇸 San Francisco

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇺🇸 Chicago

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

New York vs San Francisco

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Chicago

Metric

San Francisco

✓$819/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$909/mo

✓$8623

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$12,582

34 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

56 / 100✓

17.5 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

4.4 / 100k✓

14.2 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

14.2 / 100k

35 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

39 / 100✓

81°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

70°F

25°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

46°F

180 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

181 Mbps

✓11.3 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

13.1 μg/m³

80 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

80 / 100

7.8 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

7.8 / 10

8.0 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

8.0 / 9

67 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

67 / 100

100/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

100/100

$86k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$86k

2.9% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.9% · Boringly steady

83/100 — Mostly stable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

83/100 — Mostly stable

80/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

80/100

A median Software Engineer in Chicago takes home $11,064/mo under Standard employee. In San Francisco: $11,851/mo under Standard employee.

$788/mo more in San Francisco

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$191k

💰

Gross income

$191k

−$44k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$35k

−$14k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$14k

$133k/yr

$11k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$142k/yr✓

$12k/mo

−$57k

🏠

Cost of living

−$76k

✓$75k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$66k/yr

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Chicago

$1,025/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

San Francisco

4.4 homicides per 100k

☀️

Weather

—

81°F vs 70°F summers

Sun

How much sky you actually get

53% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

66% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

9.1h

Shortest day

Dec

9.5h

15.2h

Longest day

Jun

14.8h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable →

Democracy trend

stable →

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

financetradinghealthcaremanufacturing

Industries

techaifintechbiotech

hub

Startup ecosystem

hub

Easy

🇺🇸 Your visa

Easy

Moderate

EU visa

Moderate

Suspended

RU visa

Suspended

Moderate

UA visa

Moderate

⚠️ Partner work rights are very limited

Spouse works

⚠️ Partner work rights are very limited

Not recognized

Partner pathway

Not recognized

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

24 wk

Gestational limit

24 wk

Protected by the Reproductive Health Act; regional access hub for the Midwest.

Legal on request pre-viability under state constitution and statute.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Chicago vs San Francisco — Common Questions

Is Chicago cheaper than San Francisco?▾

Chicago is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $2388/month there vs $3413/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Chicago or San Francisco?▾

San Francisco is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Chicago has a rate of 17.50 per 100,000 and San Francisco has 4.40 per 100,000.

Should I move to Chicago or San Francisco?▾

Too close to call — 56 vs 53. San Francisco has a slight edge, but Chicago might suit you better depending on your priorities. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Chicago or San Francisco?▾

Chicago: US Employment-Based Green Card (complex process, Permanent residence). San Francisco: US Employment-Based Green Card (complex process, Permanent residence). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Chicago or San Francisco?▾

Chicago is warmer in summer (81°F vs 70°F). San Francisco has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

What's the cost of rent in Chicago vs San Francisco?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $2388/month in Chicago, $3413/month in San Francisco (Numbeo). That's 30% cheaper rent in Chicago.