Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Blythewood, SC: $2,278 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

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

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

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Blythewood, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,278

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,278 per month in Blythewood, SC vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Blythewood, SC $2,278
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,219 per month in Blythewood, SC vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Blythewood, SC $3,219
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,160 per month in Blythewood, SC vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Blythewood, SC $4,160
Chicago, IL $6,115

Blythewood, SC is about 27% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Blythewood, SC and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Blythewood, SC by 68%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.91 $11.91

$20.65 $20.65

-42.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.58 $39.58

$90.2 $90.2

-56.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 $11.96

$12.94 $12.94

-7.57%

Cappuccino

$2.98 $2.98

$5.60 $5.60

-46.79%

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

$1.76 $1.76

$2.64 $2.64

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.27 $2.27

4.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.33 $6.33

$6.98 $6.98

-9.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 $8.12

$8.83 $8.83

-8.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.27 $1.27

-34.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 $1.86

$3.80 $3.80

-51.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.30 $5.30

-14.15%

Eggs

$5.46 $5.46

$4.76 $4.76

14.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.98 $22.98

$13.96 $13.96

64.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$14.61 $14.61

-2.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.22 $20.22

$18.77 $18.77

7.73%

Apples (1kg)

$8.24 $8.24

$5.19 $5.19

58.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.98 $1.98

-14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.93 $3.93

26.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.88 $6.88

$4.96 $4.96

38.71%

Potato (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$2.76 $2.76

88.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.76 $2.76

32.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.22 $2.22

-9.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.98 $2.98

9.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.53 $8.53

$14.02 $14.02

-39.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 $13.80

$15.28 $15.28

-9.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.58 $2.58

9.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.50 $3.50

-12.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.47 $2.47

-24.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.34 $3.34

-8.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.43 $1.43

-11.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.64 $31.64

$24.32 $24.32

30.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.26 $1.26

-24.60%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-24.53%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.1K $26.1K

-2.41%

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

$138 $138

$193 $193

-28.44%

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

$30.12 $30.12

$68.3 $68.3

-55.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 $60.4

$61.3 $61.3

-1.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.60 $17.60

$54.1 $54.1

-67.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$11.87 $11.87

$17.74 $17.74

-33.09%

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

$1,261 $1,261

$1,652 $1,652

-23.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.0K $28.0K

$31.1K $31.1K

-9.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.28 $45.28

$66.1 $66.1

-31.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.02 $20.02

$51.2 $51.2

-60.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 $89.2

$100 $100

-10.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 $99.5

$141 $141

-29.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,436 $1,436

$2,446 $2,446

-41.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,154 $1,154

$1,678 $1,678

-31.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 $2,086

$4,717 $4,717

-55.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 $1,738

$2,795 $2,795

-37.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,866 $2,866

$4,105 $4,105

-30.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,205 $2,205

$2,650 $2,650

-16.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.81

-4.41%

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

Last update for Blythewood, SC: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Blythewood, SC

$1.2K 50.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 45.3% $523

Groceries & Markets

Blythewood, SC

$492 21.6%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 8.6% $42

Eating Out

Blythewood, SC

$231 10.2%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 48.5% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Blythewood, SC

$228 10%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 41.1% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Blythewood, SC

$114 5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 41.1% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Blythewood, SC

$41 1.8%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 117% $48

Getting Around

Blythewood, SC

$17 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 466% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,436 in Blythewood, SC versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Blythewood, SC versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $492 in Blythewood, SC vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Blythewood, SC

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

04:11 4:11 AM

03:11 3:11 AM

1 h behind Blythewood, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

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

Blythewood, SC Chicago, IL 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Blythewood, 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

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

Chicago, IL costs about 38% more than Blythewood, SC, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,417 per month in Blythewood, SC and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Blythewood, SC, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Blythewood, SC and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Blythewood, SC, where all-in costs run around $2,278, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Blythewood, SC it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Blythewood, SC costs $2,278 versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Blythewood, SC. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.