Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Blythewood, SC: $2,278 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Blythewood, SC
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Blythewood, SC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Blythewood, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,278 in Blythewood, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Blythewood, SC $2,278

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,219 in Blythewood, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Blythewood, SC $3,219

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,160 in Blythewood, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Blythewood, SC $4,160

Chicago, IL costs about 38% more than Blythewood, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Blythewood, SC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Blythewood, SC by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$11.91 $11.91

73.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$39.58 $39.58

127.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.96 $11.96

8.19%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$2.98 $2.98

87.92%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.76 $1.76

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.37 $2.37

-4.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.33 $6.33

10.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$8.12 $8.12

8.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.83 $0.83

53.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.86 $1.86

104.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.55 $4.55

16.48%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$5.46 $5.46

-12.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$22.98 $22.98

-39.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$14.31 $14.31

2.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$20.22 $20.22

-7.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$8.24 $8.24

-37.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.70 $1.70

16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.99 $4.99

-21.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$6.88 $6.88

-27.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$5.19 $5.19

-46.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.66 $3.66

-24.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.00 $2.00

11.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.25 $3.25

-8.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$8.53 $8.53

64.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.80 $13.80

10.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.83 $2.83

-8.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.05 $3.05

14.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.87 $1.87

32.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.04 $3.04

9.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.26 $1.26

13.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$31.64 $31.64

-23.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.95 $0.95

32.63%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$26.4K $26.4K

32.50%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.4K $25.4K

2.47%

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

$193 $193

$138 $138

39.75%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$30.12 $30.12

126.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$60.4 $60.4

1.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$17.60 $17.60

207.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$11.87 $11.87

49.45%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,261 $1,261

30.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$28.0K $28.0K

10.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$45.28 $45.28

45.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$20.02 $20.02

155.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$89.2 $89.2

12.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$99.5 $99.5

41.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,436 $1,436

70.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,154 $1,154

45.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,086 $2,086

126.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,738 $1,738

60.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,866 $2,866

43.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,205 $2,205

20.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.51

4.61%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Blythewood, SC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Blythewood, SC

$1.2K 50.7% 31.2% $523

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Blythewood, SC

$492 21.6% 9.4% $42

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Blythewood, SC

$231 10.2% 32.7% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Blythewood, SC

$228 10% 29.1% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Blythewood, SC

$114 5% 29.1% $47

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Blythewood, SC

$17 * 0.7% 82.3% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Blythewood, SC

$41 1.8% 53.9% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,436 in Blythewood, SC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $40.00 in Blythewood, SC. Groceries tell a different story – $449 in Chicago, IL vs $492 in Blythewood, SC – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Blythewood, SC

🕒 Local time

03:48 3:48 AM

04:48 4:48 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

5,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Blythewood, SC 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Blythewood, 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 Blythewood, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL costs about 38% more than Blythewood, SC, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,417 in Blythewood, SC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Blythewood, SC, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $40.00 in Blythewood, SC. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Blythewood, SC, where all-in costs run around $2,278, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Blythewood, SC it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Blythewood, SC costs $2,278 versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Blythewood, SC. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.