Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Acworth, GA: $2,232 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Acworth, GA
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Acworth, GA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Acworth, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Acworth, GA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,232 in Acworth, GA.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Acworth, GA $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $3,184 in Acworth, GA.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Acworth, GA $3,184

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $4,137 in Acworth, GA.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Acworth, GA $4,137

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 41% more expensive than in Acworth, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Acworth, GA 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$17.31 $17.31

19.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$70.6 $70.6

27.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$9.18 $9.18

40.96%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.14 $4.14

35.27%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.76 $2.76

-4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.39 $2.39

-5.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$4.89 $4.89

42.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$5.84 $5.84

51.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.77 $0.77

64.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.00 $3.00

26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.70 $4.70

12.77%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.24 $4.24

12.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$9.35 $9.35

49.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$10.95 $10.95

33.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$16.23 $16.23

15.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$6.29 $6.29

-17.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.08 $1.08

83.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.87 $2.87

36.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.85 $3.85

28.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.73 $1.73

59.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.73 $2.73

1.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.90 $1.90

16.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.86 $2.86

4.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$8.59 $8.59

63.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.09 $14.09

8.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.74 $1.74

48.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.97 $1.97

77.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.09 $3.09

8.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.62 $1.62

-11.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$29.58 $29.58

-17.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.75 $0.75

68.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

31.08%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$24.3K $24.3K

7.31%

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

$193 $193

$126 $126

52.83%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$69.3 $69.3

-1.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$57.1 $57.1

7.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$54.9 $54.9

-1.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$8.44 $8.44

110.19%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,358 $1,358

21.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$18.4K $18.4K

69.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$30.09 $30.09

119.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$39.47 $39.47

29.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$78.9 $78.9

26.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$74.8 $74.8

88.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,220 $1,220

100.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,156 $1,156

45.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,014 $2,014

134.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,685 $1,685

65.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,014 $2,014

31.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$10.7K $10.7K

-54.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.36

7.08%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Acworth, GA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Acworth, GA

$1.2K 51.8% 31.1% $521

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Acworth, GA

$367 16.5% 18.3% $82

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Acworth, GA

$272 12.2% 20.7% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Acworth, GA

$253 11.3% 21.6% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Acworth, GA

$100 4.5% 37.7% $61

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Acworth, GA

$11 * 0.5% 88.3% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Acworth, GA

$72 3.2% 19.9% $18

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 $2,446 in Chicago, IL and $1,220 in Acworth, GA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acworth, GA pays 120% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $71.0 in Acworth, GA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $367 per month, with Acworth, GA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Acworth, GA

🕒 Local time

09:51 9:51 AM

10:51 10:51 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

22,698

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Acworth, GA 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Acworth, GA

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

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

Chicago, IL and Acworth, GA differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($3,139 vs $2,232 including rent). Acworth, GA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 120% lower in Acworth, GA. 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: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,220 in Acworth, GA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,232 in Acworth, GA – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,232 in Acworth, GA versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Acworth, GA but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Acworth, GA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Acworth, GA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.