Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Aiken, SC: $2,436 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Aiken, SC
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Aiken, SC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Aiken, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,436

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Aiken, SC

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 Aiken, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,436 in Aiken, SC.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Aiken, SC $2,436

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $3,384 in Aiken, SC.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Aiken, SC $3,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $4,332 in Aiken, SC.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Aiken, SC $4,332

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 25% more expensive than in Aiken, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Aiken, SC 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$15.28 $15.28

35.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$58.8 $58.8

51.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.80 $10.80

22.13%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.69 $3.69

53.39%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.18 $2.18

21.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.97 $1.97

15.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.84 $5.84

17.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.53 $8.53

3.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.02 $1.02

22.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.75 $2.75

35.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.31 $2.31

133.33%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.59 $3.59

32.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$14.15 $14.15

-2.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$6.28 $6.28

129.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.71 $18.71

-1.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$8.72 $8.72

-40.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.29 $2.29

-13.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.93 $2.93

38.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.87 $3.87

28.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.95 $1.95

36.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.74 $2.74

-2.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.87 $1.87

19.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.05 $2.05

52.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$7.16 $7.16

93.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.05 $13.05

14.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.01 $2.01

26.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.98 $2.98

17.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.90 $4.90

-35.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$5.02 $5.02

-72.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$51.0 $51.0

-50.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.73 $0.73

64.38%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.3K $28.3K

23.77%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

0.05%

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

$194 $194

$222 $222

-12.36%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$66.2 $66.2

4.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$84.2 $84.2

-26.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$56.6 $56.6

-15.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.99 $14.99

18.81%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$942 $942

90.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$18.0K $18.0K

77.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$64.7 $64.7

3.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$44.36 $44.36

17.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$114 $114

-11.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$64.6 $64.6

122.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,337 $1,337

88.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,191 $1,191

32.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,759 $1,759

169.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,706 $1,706

57.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,694 $1,694

147.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,359 $1,359

103.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.57

3.65%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Aiken, SC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Aiken, SC

$1.2K 48.9% 24.5% $387

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Aiken, SC

$365 15% 18.4% $82

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Aiken, SC

$262 10.7% 24.1% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Aiken, SC

$372 15.3% 14.4% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Aiken, SC

$130 5.3% 21% $34

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Aiken, SC

$30 * 1.2% 67.9% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Aiken, SC

$87 3.6% 3.6% $3

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 $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,337 in Aiken, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $59 in Aiken, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $365 per month, with Aiken, SC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Aiken, SC

🕒 Local time

17:57 5:57 PM

18:57 6:57 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

28,829

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Aiken, SC 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Aiken, SC

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 Aiken, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aiken, SC wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Aiken, SC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,555 in Chicago, IL and $3,654 in Aiken, SC to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,337 in Aiken, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,794 in Chicago, IL versus $942 in Aiken, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Aiken, SC – a meal for two runs $59 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Aiken, SC 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.