---
title: "Chicago vs San Francisco for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/chicago-vs-san-francisco
description: "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."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# 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 | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 18 | 13 | Chicago |
| Safety | 54 | 54 | tie |
| Healthcare | 79 | 79 | tie |
| Internet | 75 | 72 | Chicago |
| Visa ease | 53 | 53 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 75 | 51 | Chicago |
| Climate | 33 | 42 | San Francisco |
| Air quality | 92 | 95 | San Francisco |
| Quality of life | 95 | 95 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Chicago | San Francisco | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $3,108 | $3,468 | Chicago |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Chicago | San Francisco | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 5.8 | 5.8 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 64.3 | 64.3 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 | 88 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 76.4 yrs | 76.4 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Chicago | San Francisco | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 73.5 Mbps | 59.7 Mbps | Chicago |
| Upload | 11.7 Mbps | 11.9 Mbps | San Francisco |

## Visa

| Metric | Chicago | San Francisco | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | unlimited | unlimited | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Chicago | San Francisco | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 280 | 151 | Chicago |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 4 | Chicago |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Chicago | San Francisco | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 5 | San Francisco |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.7 µg/m³ | 7.4 µg/m³ | San Francisco |

## FAQ

### 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).

City pages: [Chicago](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/chicago) · [San Francisco](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/san-francisco). 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).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/chicago-vs-san-francisco