Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Brunswick, GA: $2,400 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Brunswick, GA
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Brunswick, GA Living Index
152

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

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Brunswick, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,400

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,400 in Brunswick, GA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL.

Brunswick, GA $2,400
Chicago, IL $3,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Brunswick, GA versus $4,627 in Chicago, IL.

Brunswick, GA $3,458
Chicago, IL $4,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,516 in Brunswick, GA versus $6,115 in Chicago, IL.

Brunswick, GA $4,516
Chicago, IL $6,115

Living in Brunswick, GA costs roughly 24% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brunswick, GA 77% above, Chicago, IL 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.98 $20.98

$20.65 $20.65

1.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$90.2 $90.2

-12.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.09 $12.09

$12.94 $12.94

-6.57%

Cappuccino

$7.18 $7.18

$5.60 $5.60

28.21%

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

$3.17 $3.17

$2.64 $2.64

20.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.27 $2.27

7.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 $6.97

$6.98 $6.98

-0.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 $6.49

$8.83 $8.83

-26.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.27 $1.27

-18.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.80 $3.80

-23.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$5.30 $5.30

-54.72%

Eggs

$4.81 $4.81

$4.76 $4.76

1.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 $7.33

$13.96 $13.96

-47.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.25 $12.25

$14.61 $14.61

-16.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.73 $12.73

$18.77 $18.77

-32.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$5.19 $5.19

10.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.98 $1.98

-29.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.93 $3.93

1.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$4.96 $4.96

-38.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.76 $2.76

-12.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.76 $2.76

-12.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.22 $2.22

-37.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.98 $2.98

-39.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.75 $8.75

$14.02 $14.02

-37.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 $10.85

$15.28 $15.28

-28.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.58 $2.58

-17.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.50 $3.50

-23.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.47 $2.47

-20.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.34 $3.34

-7.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.43 $1.43

101.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.60 $39.60

$24.32 $24.32

62.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.26 $1.26

-26.19%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.19%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$26.1K $26.1K

5.63%

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

$138 $138

$193 $193

-28.56%

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

$64.0 $64.0

$68.3 $68.3

-6.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.1 $77.1

$61.3 $61.3

25.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 $57.6

$54.1 $54.1

6.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.07 $25.07

$27.92 $27.92

-10.21%

Cinema Ticket

$13.40 $13.40

$17.74 $17.74

-24.46%

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

$603 $603

$1,652 $1,652

-63.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K $18.7K

$31.1K $31.1K

-39.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 $54.0

$66.1 $66.1

-18.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 $51.7

$51.2 $51.2

0.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$100 $100

-13.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.8 $73.8

$141 $141

-47.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 $1,456

$2,446 $2,446

-40.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 $1,197

$1,678 $1,678

-28.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 $2,481

$4,717 $4,717

-47.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 $1,759

$2,795 $2,795

-37.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,717 $3,717

$4,105 $4,105

-9.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,081 $3,081

$2,650 $2,650

16.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,548 $2,548

$4,866 $4,866

-47.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.81

-1.91%

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

Last update for Brunswick, GA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brunswick, GA

$1.2K 49.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 40.2% $481

Eating Out

Brunswick, GA

$361 15%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 4.7% $17

Groceries & Markets

Brunswick, GA

$335 14%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 34.2% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brunswick, GA

$279 11.6%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 15.6% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Brunswick, GA

$120 5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 34.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Brunswick, GA

$84 3.5%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 6.2% $5.2

Getting Around

Brunswick, GA

$25 * 1.1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 275% $70

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 $1,456 in Brunswick, GA and $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 91% 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: $79.0 in Brunswick, GA vs $90.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $449 per month, with Brunswick, GA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brunswick, GA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

06:20 6:20 AM

05:20 5:20 AM

1 h behind Brunswick, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,287

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brunswick, GA Chicago, IL 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Brunswick, 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

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

Brunswick, GA and Chicago, IL differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,400 vs $3,139 including rent). Brunswick, GA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 91% 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: $1,456 in Brunswick, GA 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 34% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,400 per month in Brunswick, GA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Brunswick, GA 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.

Expats usually find Brunswick, GA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.