Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aiken, SC and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Aiken, SC: $2,436 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Aiken, SC
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Aiken, SC Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Aiken, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,436

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aiken, SC and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aiken, SC and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,436 in Aiken, SC versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Aiken, SC $2,436
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,384 in Aiken, SC versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Aiken, SC $3,384
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,332 in Aiken, SC versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Aiken, SC $4,332
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Aiken, SC costs roughly 20% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aiken, SC 79% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.28 $15.28

$20.71 $20.71

-26.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 $58.8

$89.2 $89.2

-34.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 $10.80

$13.19 $13.19

-18.12%

Cappuccino

$3.69 $3.69

$5.66 $5.66

-34.81%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.64 $2.64

-17.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.28 $2.28

-13.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 $5.84

$6.87 $6.87

-14.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.53 $8.53

$8.84 $8.84

-3.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.25 $1.25

-18.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.72 $3.72

-26.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$5.39 $5.39

-57.14%

Eggs

$3.59 $3.59

$4.74 $4.74

-24.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$13.84 $13.84

2.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$14.40 $14.40

-56.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$18.38 $18.38

1.80%

Apples (1kg)

$8.72 $8.72

$5.22 $5.22

67.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.98 $1.98

15.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$4.06 $4.06

-27.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$4.97 $4.97

-22.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.67 $2.67

-26.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.66 $2.66

3.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.24 $2.24

-16.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.13 $3.13

-34.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 $7.16

$13.82 $13.82

-48.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.05 $13.05

$14.88 $14.88

-12.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.54 $2.54

-20.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.51 $3.51

-15.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.18 $3.18

54.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.02 $5.02

$1.39 $1.39

261.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.0 $51.0

$25.03 $25.03

103.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.20 $1.20

-39.17%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.3K $28.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.20%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.05%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$222 $222

$194 $194

14.11%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$69.5 $69.5

-4.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.2 $84.2

$61.6 $61.6

36.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 $56.6

$47.90 $47.90

18.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 $14.99

$17.81 $17.81

-15.83%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$942 $942

$1,794 $1,794

-47.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K $18.0K

$31.9K $31.9K

-43.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 $64.7

$67.0 $67.0

-3.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.36 $44.36

$52.1 $52.1

-14.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$102 $102

12.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.6 $64.6

$144 $144

-55.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 $1,337

$2,526 $2,526

-47.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 $1,191

$1,578 $1,578

-24.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 $1,759

$4,738 $4,738

-62.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,706 $1,706

$2,693 $2,693

-36.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,694 $1,694

$4,190 $4,190

-59.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,359 $1,359

$2,768 $2,768

-50.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.81

-3.52%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aiken, SC: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aiken, SC

$1.2K 48.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 32.5% $387

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aiken, SC

$372 15.3%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 12.6% $47

Groceries & Markets

Aiken, SC

$365 15%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 22.5% $82

Eating Out

Aiken, SC

$262 10.7%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 31.8% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Aiken, SC

$130 5.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 26.5% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Aiken, SC

$87 3.6%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 3.5% $3

Getting Around

Aiken, SC

$30 * 1.2%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 211% $63

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,337 in Aiken, SC and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $59 in Aiken, SC vs $89 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $447 per month, with Aiken, SC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Aiken, SC

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

16:20 4:20 PM

1 h behind Aiken, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,829

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Aiken, SC Chicago, IL 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Aiken, SC
Chicago, IL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aiken, SC vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aiken, SC wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Aiken, SC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,654 in Aiken, SC and $4,555 in Chicago, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,337 in Aiken, SC versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $942 in Aiken, SC versus $1,794 in Chicago, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Aiken, SC – a meal for two runs $59 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Aiken, SC is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.