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

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Chicago, IL is 35.7% more expensive than Albany, GA without rent, and 25.9% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Chicago, IL is 52.7% more expensive than Albany, GA without rent, and 40.7% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Chicago, IL
Albany, GA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.82 $20.82
$19.95 $19.95
4.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$100 $100
$61 $61
64.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.97 $11.97
$12.05 $12.05
-0.66%
Cappuccino
$5.56 $5.56
$4.75 $4.75
17.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$2.64 $2.64
17.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$2.33 $2.33
3.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.86 $6.86
$4.86 $4.86
41.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.45 $8.45
$5.18 $5.18
63.13%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
Albany, GA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.1 $1.1
-5.45%
White Bread (500g)
$4.15 $4.15
$1.54 $1.54
169.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$1.99 $1.99
177.39%
Eggs
$4.65 $4.65
$4.34 $4.34
7.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.33 $14.33
$7.5 $7.5
91.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.88 $14.88
$9.04 $9.04
64.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.34 $19.34
$10.47 $10.47
84.72%
Apples (1kg)
$5.17 $5.17
$4.51 $4.51
14.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.4 $1.4
22.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.41 $4.41
$3.23 $3.23
36.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$4.19 $4.19
7.64%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.7 $2.7
-6.30%
Onion (1kg)
$2.74 $2.74
$3.29 $3.29
-16.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 $2.43
$3 $3
-19.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.7 $2.7
$2.61 $2.61
3.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.19 $15.19
$8.16 $8.16
86.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.42 $16.42
$13.58 $13.58
20.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.9 $1.9
23.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.7 $3.7
$3.45 $3.45
7.25%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Chicago, IL
Albany, GA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.53 $2.53
$1.73 $1.73
46.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.1 $74.1
$44.46 $44.46
66.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.34 $3.34
$3.92 $3.92
-14.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 $1.42
$2.48 $2.48
-42.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.42 $25.42
$25.1 $25.1
1.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$0.89 $0.89
21.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K $32.4K
$27K $27K
20.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$25.4K $25.4K
3.26%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
Albany, GA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 $188
$186 $186
1.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$63.7 $63.7
$43.25 $43.25
47.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.2 $65.2
$60 $60
8.70%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
Albany, GA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.7 $76.7
$15.26 $15.26
402.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.03 $13.03
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.93 $14.93
$11.08 $11.08
34.75%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Chicago, IL
Albany, GA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,063 $2,063
$730 $730
182.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.2K $39.2K
$11.1K $11.1K
253.06%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
Albany, GA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.3 $64.3
$55.1 $55.1
16.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.4 $52.4
$47 $47
11.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.2 $95.2
$89.1 $89.1
6.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 $145
$85.6 $85.6
69.00%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
Albany, GA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,378 $2,378
$1,316 $1,316
80.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,584 $1,584
$1,322 $1,322
19.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,763 $4,763
$2,527 $2,527
88.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,815 $2,815
$1,977 $1,977
42.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,588 $3,588
$1,232 $1,232
191.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,490 $2,490
$1,230 $1,230
102.47%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Chicago, IL
Albany, GA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,275 $5,275
$2,936 $2,936
79.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
6.53
1.07%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 29, 2025

Last update for Albany, GA: October 28, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter โ€“ low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.