Moving from Chicago, IL to San Diego, CA
Chicago to San Diego is a move of about 2,112 miles. Median rent is $2,246 a month in San Diego and $1,430 in Chicago, and the median home is $854,700 against $323,000. State income tax is up to 13.30% in San Diego and a flat 4.95% in Chicago. Property tax runs 0.68% of home value in San Diego and 1.98% in Chicago.
Moving to San Diego costs about
$1,200/mo
more than Chicago each month, renting on a $80,000 household income
Not your income? Run it on your own numbers
Worth knowing
Homes cost 2.6x more in San Diego, but the tax rate is lower
San Diego taxes property at 0.68% against 1.98% in Chicago. Despite the far higher prices, you would actually pay LESS property tax there: about $5,778 a year against $6,402.
Chicago vs San Diego at a glance
| Chicago | San Diego | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $323,000 | $854,700 |
| Median rent | $1,430/mo | $2,246/mo |
| State income tax | Flat 4.95% | Up to 13.30% |
| Property tax rate | 1.98% | 0.68% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 107 | 108 |
| Utilities | 84 | 174 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
Monthly cost of living: Chicago vs San Diego
| Monthly | Chicago | San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent)Biggest factor | $1,430 | $2,246 | +$816 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income tax | $318 | $298 | -$20 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $96 | $121 | +$25 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,966 | $1,979 | +$13 |
| Utilities | $341 | $712 | +$371 |
| Total | +$1,205 | ||
Cost to move from Chicago to San Diego
$3,500 to $7,600
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $950 to $1,350, against roughly $650 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 4-day trip yourself.
Housing and everyday prices here are for the metro area. Income and sales tax are set by state law and have no metro equivalent, so those come from Illinois and California. Compare the whole states instead to see how each metro sits against the state it is in.
Run this with your own numbers
What jobs pay in San Diego, after the cost of living
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Housing and price figures are metro-area medians or averages; income and sales tax are statewide. Neither will match any particular household.