Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Beaufort, SC: $2,419 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Beaufort, SC
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Beaufort, SC Living Index
152

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

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Beaufort, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,419

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,419 in Beaufort, SC versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Beaufort, SC $2,419
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,526 in Beaufort, SC versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Beaufort, SC $3,526
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,634 in Beaufort, SC versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Beaufort, SC $4,634
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Beaufort, SC costs roughly 23% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Beaufort, SC 78% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.65 $18.65

$20.65 $20.65

-9.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$90.2 $90.2

9.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.38 $11.38

$12.94 $12.94

-12.06%

Cappuccino

$5.29 $5.29

$5.60 $5.60

-5.54%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$2.64 $2.64

-9.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.27 $2.27

-11.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 $3.80

$6.98 $6.98

-45.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 $4.03

$8.83 $8.83

-54.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.27 $1.27

-20.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.80 $3.80

-13.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.30 $5.30

-29.81%

Eggs

$3.93 $3.93

$4.76 $4.76

-17.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 $8.72

$13.96 $13.96

-37.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$14.61 $14.61

-57.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 $11.03

$18.77 $18.77

-41.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$5.19 $5.19

-10.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.98 $1.98

-32.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$3.93 $3.93

-4.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$4.96 $4.96

-59.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.76 $2.76

-10.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.76 $2.76

-22.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.22 $2.22

-11.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.98 $2.98

-16.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.50 $9.50

$14.02 $14.02

-32.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 $15.04

$15.28 $15.28

-1.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.58 $2.58

-17.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.50 $3.50

-9.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$3.34 $3.34

-55.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.43 $1.43

-21.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.01 $14.01

$24.32 $24.32

-42.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.26 $1.26

-40.48%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-26.78%

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

$20.8K $20.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

-20.05%

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

$93.9 $93.9

$193 $193

-51.26%

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

$64.7 $64.7

$68.3 $68.3

-5.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$61.3 $61.3

12.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.16 $25.16

$54.1 $54.1

-53.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.89 $9.89

$17.74 $17.74

-44.25%

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

$1,294 $1,294

$1,652 $1,652

-21.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K $12.1K

$31.1K $31.1K

-61.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.4 $64.4

$66.1 $66.1

-2.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.36 $47.36

$51.2 $51.2

-7.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$100 $100

11.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 $154

$141 $141

9.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 $1,516

$2,446 $2,446

-38.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 $1,361

$1,678 $1,678

-18.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,827 $2,827

$4,717 $4,717

-40.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 $2,066

$2,795 $2,795

-26.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 $3,646

$4,105 $4,105

-11.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,592 $3,592

$2,650 $2,650

35.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,035 $4,035

$4,866 $4,866

-17.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.81

-1.76%

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

Last update for Beaufort, SC: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beaufort, SC

$1.4K 56.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 23.3% $317

Groceries & Markets

Beaufort, SC

$317 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 42% $133

Eating Out

Beaufort, SC

$292 12.1%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 17.8% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beaufort, SC

$228 9.4%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 41.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Beaufort, SC

$170 7%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 5.1% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Beaufort, SC

$45 1.9%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 99.4% $45

Getting Around

Beaufort, SC

$7.1 * 0.3%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 1240% $88

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 $1,516 in Beaufort, SC and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 21% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $99.0 in Beaufort, SC vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $449, with Beaufort, SC cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Beaufort, SC

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

06:11 6:11 AM

05:11 5:11 AM

1 h behind Beaufort, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,029

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Beaufort, SC Chicago, IL 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Beaufort, 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

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

Beaufort, SC is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Chicago, IL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,516 in Beaufort, SC versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,419 per month in Beaufort, SC versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,419 in Beaufort, SC versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Beaufort, SC but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Beaufort, SC the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Beaufort, SC 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 Beaufort, SC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.