Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Alpharetta, GA: $3,015 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Alpharetta, GA
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Alpharetta, GA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Alpharetta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,015

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL versus $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Alpharetta, GA $3,015

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,631 in Chicago, IL versus $4,418 in Alpharetta, GA.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Alpharetta, GA $4,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,077 in Chicago, IL versus $5,822 in Alpharetta, GA.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Alpharetta, GA $5,822

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 6% more expensive than in Alpharetta, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 136% above, Alpharetta, GA 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$25.92 $25.92

-16.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$81.2 $81.2

9.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$9.82 $9.82

34.42%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.87 $4.87

14.78%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.52 $2.52

4.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.11 $2.11

7.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$5.78 $5.78

23.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$7.40 $7.40

24.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.93 $0.93

37.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$4.25 $4.25

-9.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$5.73 $5.73

-11.52%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$4.58 $4.58

5.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$11.41 $11.41

24.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$8.73 $8.73

67.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$20.39 $20.39

-7.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.61 $4.61

12.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.14 $2.14

-6.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.23 $4.23

-5.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.41 $4.41

12.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.65 $3.65

-23.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.71 $3.71

-28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.39 $2.39

-10.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.77 $2.77

11.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$8.94 $8.94

79.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$14.79 $14.79

2.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.72 $1.72

52.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.92 $3.92

-11.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.94 $2.94

-15.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

$94.2 $94.2

-20.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.08 $3.08

4.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.37 $2.37

-41.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$40.78 $40.78

-38.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.90 $0.90

37.78%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$32.5K $32.5K

14.56%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

-1.74%

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

$192 $192

$252 $252

-23.69%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$53.7 $53.7

26.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$87.4 $87.4

-30.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$34.02 $34.02

57.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$22.25 $22.25

25.39%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$16.81 $16.81

5.89%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,298 $1,298

19.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$16.0K $16.0K

95.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$77.0 $77.0

-11.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$44.98 $44.98

12.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$128 $128

-20.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$139 $139

3.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$2,105 $2,105

13.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,488 $1,488

15.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$3,000 $3,000

55.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,491 $2,491

9.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$7,659 $7,659

-45.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$5,366 $5,366

-49.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$6,390 $6,390

-23.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.84

-1.02%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Alpharetta, GA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Alpharetta, GA

$1.5K 49.3% 13.1% $224

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Alpharetta, GA

$414 13.7% 8.2% $37

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Alpharetta, GA

$357 11.9% 1.3% $4.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Alpharetta, GA

$393 13% 22.4% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Alpharetta, GA

$175 5.8% 6.9% $11

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Alpharetta, GA

$121 4% 27.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Alpharetta, GA

$68 2.2% 24.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,383 in Chicago, IL and $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alpharetta, GA pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89.0 in Chicago, IL vs $81.0 in Alpharetta, GA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $414 per month, with Alpharetta, GA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Alpharetta, GA

🕒 Local time

19:16 7:16 PM

20:16 8:16 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

65,799

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Alpharetta, GA 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Alpharetta, GA

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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 Alpharetta, GA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alpharetta, GA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and leisure. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Alpharetta, 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: $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Alpharetta, GA runs roughly 25% less than in Chicago, IL. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,554 in Chicago, IL versus $1,298 in Alpharetta, GA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Alpharetta, GA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Alpharetta, GA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chicago, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Alpharetta, GA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.