Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Brunswick, GA: $2,400 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Brunswick, GA
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Brunswick, GA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Brunswick, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,400

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,400 in Brunswick, GA.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Brunswick, GA $2,400

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $3,458 in Brunswick, GA.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Brunswick, GA $3,458

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $4,516 in Brunswick, GA.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Brunswick, GA $4,516

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 31% more expensive than in Brunswick, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Brunswick, GA 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$20.98 $20.98

-1.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$79.2 $79.2

13.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.09 $12.09

7.03%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$7.18 $7.18

-22.01%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.17 $3.17

-16.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.45 $2.45

-7.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.97 $6.97

0.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.49 $6.49

36.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.04 $1.04

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.89 $2.89

31.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.40 $2.40

120.83%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.81 $4.81

-1.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$7.33 $7.33

90.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$12.25 $12.25

19.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$12.73 $12.73

47.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.74 $5.74

-9.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.39 $1.39

42.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.00 $4.00

-1.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.07 $3.07

61.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.41 $2.41

14.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.41 $2.41

14.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.38 $1.38

60.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.80 $1.80

65.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$8.75 $8.75

60.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$10.85 $10.85

40.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.14 $2.14

20.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.67 $2.67

31.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.97 $1.97

25.38%

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

$2.88 $2.88

-50.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$39.60 $39.60

-38.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.93 $0.93

35.48%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.3K $28.3K

23.75%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$27.5K $27.5K

-5.33%

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

$193 $193

$138 $138

39.98%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$64.0 $64.0

6.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$77.1 $77.1

-20.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$57.6 $57.6

-5.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$25.07 $25.07

11.37%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$13.40 $13.40

32.39%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$603 $603

173.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$18.7K $18.7K

66.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$54.0 $54.0

22.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$51.7 $51.7

-0.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$86.4 $86.4

15.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$73.8 $73.8

91.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,456 $1,456

68.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,197 $1,197

40.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,481 $2,481

90.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,759 $1,759

58.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$3,717 $3,717

10.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$3,081 $3,081

-13.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$2,548 $2,548

90.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.68

1.95%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Brunswick, GA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Brunswick, GA

$1.2K 49.9% 28.7% $481

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Brunswick, GA

$335 14% 25.5% $114

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Brunswick, GA

$361 15% 5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Brunswick, GA

$279 11.6% 13.5% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Brunswick, GA

$120 5% 25.8% $42

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Brunswick, GA

$25 * 1.1% 73.3% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Brunswick, GA

$84 3.5% 5.8% $5.2

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 $1,456 in Brunswick, GA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 91% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $79.0 in Brunswick, GA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $335 per month, with Brunswick, GA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Brunswick, GA

🕒 Local time

08:17 8:17 AM

09:17 9:17 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

16,287

💱 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 Brunswick, GA 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Chicago, IL and Brunswick, GA differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($3,139 vs $2,400 including rent). Brunswick, GA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 91% higher in Chicago, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,456 in Brunswick, GA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% 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 $2,400 in Brunswick, GA – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Brunswick, GA 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.

Expats usually find Brunswick, GA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.