Chicago vs San Francisco
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Chicago edges it, 64 to 62, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Chicago is stronger on getting there & around; San Francisco on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Chicago | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 18 ✓ | 13 |
| Safety | 54 | 54 |
| Healthcare | 79 | 79 |
| Internet | 75 ✓ | 72 |
| Visa ease | 53 | 53 |
| Getting there & around | 75 ✓ | 51 |
| Climate | 33 | 42 ✓ |
| Air quality | 92 | 95 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 95 | 95 |
Cost
| Metric | Chicago | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $3,108 ✓ | $3,468 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Chicago | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 5.8 | 5.8 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 64.3 | 64.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 | 88 |
| Life expectancy | 76.4 yrs | 76.4 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Chicago | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 73.5 Mbps ✓ | 59.7 Mbps |
| Upload | 11.7 Mbps | 11.9 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Chicago | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Chicago | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 280 ✓ | 151 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 4 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Chicago | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 5 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.7 µg/m³ | 7.4 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Chicago or San Francisco?
- Chicago is cheaper: about $3,108 per month versus $3,468 for one person.
- Is Chicago or San Francisco safer?
- Chicago scores higher on safety (54 vs 54), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Chicago or San Francisco?
- Chicago: a measured median of 73.5 Mbps versus 59.7 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Chicago vs New York City
- Chicago vs Washington DC
- San Francisco vs Philadelphia
- San Francisco vs Dallas
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (all items). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.