Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alpharetta, GA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Alpharetta, GA: $3,015 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

149

Cost of Living Index in Alpharetta, GA
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Alpharetta, GA Living Index
153

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

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Alpharetta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,015

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alpharetta, GA 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 Alpharetta, GA and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL.

Alpharetta, GA $3,015
Chicago, IL $3,185

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,418 in Alpharetta, GA versus $4,631 in Chicago, IL.

Alpharetta, GA $4,418
Chicago, IL $4,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,822 in Alpharetta, GA versus $6,077 in Chicago, IL.

Alpharetta, GA $5,822
Chicago, IL $6,077

Living in Alpharetta, GA costs roughly 5% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alpharetta, GA 123% above, Chicago, IL 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.92 $25.92

$21.58 $21.58

20.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$88.7 $88.7

-8.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 $9.82

$13.20 $13.20

-25.61%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$5.59 $5.59

-12.88%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$2.63 $2.63

-4.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.26 $2.26

-6.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 $5.78

$7.11 $7.11

-18.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 $7.40

$9.23 $9.23

-19.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.28 $1.28

-27.34%

White Bread (500g)

$4.25 $4.25

$3.84 $3.84

10.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$5.07 $5.07

13.02%

Eggs

$4.58 $4.58

$4.84 $4.84

-5.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 $11.41

$14.17 $14.17

-19.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 $8.73

$14.61 $14.61

-40.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.39 $20.39

$18.76 $18.76

8.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$5.19 $5.19

-11.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.00 $2.00

7.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$4.00 $4.00

5.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$4.98 $4.98

-11.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.79 $2.79

30.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.65 $2.65

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.13 $2.13

12.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.09 $3.09

-10.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.94 $8.94

$16.05 $16.05

-44.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$15.20 $15.20

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.62 $2.62

-34.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$3.46 $3.46

13.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.47 $2.47

19.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.2 $94.2

$75.1 $75.1

25.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.21 $3.21

-4.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.39 $1.39

70.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 $40.78

$25.02 $25.02

62.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.24 $1.24

-27.42%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$37.2K $37.2K

-12.71%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.8K $25.8K

1.77%

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

$252 $252

$192 $192

31.04%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$67.8 $67.8

-20.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.4 $87.4

$60.9 $60.9

43.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.02 $34.02

$53.6 $53.6

-36.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.25 $22.25

$27.90 $27.90

-20.25%

Cinema Ticket

$16.81 $16.81

$17.80 $17.80

-5.56%

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

$1,298 $1,298

$1,554 $1,554

-16.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$31.4K $31.4K

-48.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 $77.0

$67.9 $67.9

13.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 $44.98

$50.8 $50.8

-11.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$101 $101

25.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$143 $143

-3.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 $2,105

$2,383 $2,383

-11.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 $1,488

$1,712 $1,712

-13.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,000 $3,000

$4,674 $4,674

-35.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,491 $2,491

$2,738 $2,738

-9.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,659 $7,659

$4,158 $4,158

84.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,366 $5,366

$2,691 $2,691

99.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,390 $6,390

$4,894 $4,894

30.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

6.77

1.03%

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

Last update for Alpharetta, GA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alpharetta, GA

$1.5K 49.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 15.1% $224

Groceries & Markets

Alpharetta, GA

$414 13.7%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 9% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alpharetta, GA

$393 13%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 18.3% $72

Eating Out

Alpharetta, GA

$357 11.9%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 1.2% $4.4

Clothing & Footwear

Alpharetta, GA

$175 5.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 6.4% $11

Getting Around

Alpharetta, GA

$121 4%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 21.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Alpharetta, GA

$68 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 31.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA and $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alpharetta, GA pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Alpharetta, GA vs $89.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $451 per month, with Alpharetta, GA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alpharetta, GA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

19:25 7:25 PM

18:25 6:25 PM

1 h behind Alpharetta, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,799

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Alpharetta, GA Chicago, IL 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Alpharetta, GA
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

Alpharetta, GA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alpharetta, GA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and leisure. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Alpharetta, GA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA versus $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Alpharetta, GA runs roughly 25% less than in Chicago, IL. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,298 in Alpharetta, GA versus $1,554 in Chicago, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Alpharetta, GA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Alpharetta, GA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chicago, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Alpharetta, GA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.