Residential comparison · 13 facts
Chicago, IL vs San Antonio, TX
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Chicago needs about $66,000 in San Antonio to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from San Antonio, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $105,000 in Chicago.
A few differences
- San Antonio is lower on sales tax (8.25% vs 10.25%).
- San Antonio is lower on groceries index (93 vs 102).
- Chicago is higher on median household income ($71,000 vs $59,000).
Chicago vs San Antonio · facet by facet
| Facet | Chicago, IL | San Antonio, TX |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $360,000 | $285,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,200/mo | $1,450/mo |
| Property tax rate | 2.1% | 2.1% |
| State & local income tax | 4.95% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 10.25% | 8.25% |
| Cost of living index | 106 | 91 |
| Groceries index | 102 | 93 |
| Utilities | $155/mo | $165/mo |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $59,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.1% |
| Crime index | 55/100 | 55/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 189 days | 220 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Chicago, IL · San Antonio, TX
Questions & answers
- Is Chicago cheaper than San Antonio?
- San Antonio has the lower day-to-day cost index (91 vs 106 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in San Antonio equals $85,000 in Chicago?
- A household earning $85,000 in Chicago needs about $66,000 in San Antonio to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of San Antonio lifestyle costs about $105,000 in Chicago.