Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Buford, GA: $2,294 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Buford, GA
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Buford, GA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Buford, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,294 in Buford, GA.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Buford, GA $2,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $3,449 in Buford, GA.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Buford, GA $3,449

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $4,603 in Buford, GA.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Buford, GA $4,603

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 32% more expensive than in Buford, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Buford, GA 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$25.20 $25.20

-17.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$59.2 $59.2

50.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$5.90 $5.90

123.56%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.30 $5.30

6.79%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.95 $1.95

35.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.63 $1.63

39.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.14 $5.14

33.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.84 $5.84

51.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.79 $0.79

58.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.53 $3.53

5.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.08 $3.08

75.00%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.00 $4.00

18.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$5.55 $5.55

149.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$9.60 $9.60

50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$11.54 $11.54

59.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.49 $3.49

49.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.24 $1.24

59.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.06 $2.06

97.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.58 $3.58

38.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.11 $3.11

-14.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.69 $2.69

-1.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.21 $2.21

1.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.59 $1.59

96.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.18 $10.18

35.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$10.97 $10.97

35.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.84 $1.84

38.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.46 $1.46

140.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.71 $3.71

-34.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.76 $0.76

57.89%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$70.7K $70.7K

-50.47%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$27.0K $27.0K

-1.10%

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

$194 $194

$203 $203

-4.16%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$24.95 $24.95

178.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$82.2 $82.2

-24.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$44.33 $44.33

8.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$35.08 $35.08

-22.06%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.80 $12.80

39.14%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,117 $1,117

60.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$45.53 $45.53

47.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$35.24 $35.24

47.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$76.4 $76.4

32.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$97.1 $97.1

48.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,450 $1,450

74.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,152 $1,152

36.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,390 $2,390

98.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,127 $2,127

26.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,364 $3,364

46.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.22

9.49%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Buford, GA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Buford, GA

$1.2K 50.2% 27% $426

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Buford, GA

$299 13% 33.3% $149

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Buford, GA

$335 14.6% 3% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Buford, GA

$310 13.5% 4.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Buford, GA

$114 5% 30.2% $50

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Buford, GA

$15 * 0.7% 84.1% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Buford, GA

$70 3.1% 16.3% $14

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 $1,450 in Buford, GA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 47% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $59 in Buford, GA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $299 per month, with Buford, GA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Buford, GA

🕒 Local time

17:10 5:10 PM

18:10 6:10 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

14,868

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,294 in Buford, GA, so Buford, GA is about 24% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 47% 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: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,450 in Buford, GA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,294 in Buford, GA – Buford, GA is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,294 in Buford, GA versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Buford, GA but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Buford, GA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Buford, GA wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.