Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Calhoun, GA: $2,620 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Calhoun, GA
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Calhoun, GA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Calhoun, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $2,620 in Calhoun, GA.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Calhoun, GA $2,620

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $3,920 in Calhoun, GA.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Calhoun, GA $3,920

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $5,219 in Calhoun, GA.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Calhoun, GA $5,219

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 20% more expensive than in Calhoun, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Calhoun, GA 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$17.81 $17.81

15.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$85.6 $85.6

5.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.65 $11.65

11.07%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.77 $4.77

17.40%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.65 $2.65

-0.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.29 $2.29

-0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.24 $5.24

33.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.11 $7.11

24.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.83 $0.83

53.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.30 $3.30

15.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.42 $4.42

19.91%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.55 $4.55

4.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.64 $12.64

10.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$7.43 $7.43

96.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$17.19 $17.19

9.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.88 $4.88

6.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.59 $1.59

24.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.42 $4.42

-11.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.85 $4.85

2.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.04 $3.04

-9.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.11 $2.11

5.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.19 $2.19

36.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$9.95 $9.95

40.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.94 $14.94

2.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.94 $1.94

32.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.33 $3.33

5.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.86 $1.86

32.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.29 $3.29

1.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.71 $1.71

-16.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$32.64 $32.64

-25.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.97 $0.97

29.90%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$31.9K $31.9K

9.63%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$24.3K $24.3K

7.31%

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

$193 $193

$235 $235

-17.90%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$60.7 $60.7

12.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$70.3 $70.3

-12.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$39.38 $39.38

37.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$14.05 $14.05

26.26%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$582 $582

183.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$25.1K $25.1K

23.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$53.5 $53.5

23.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$43.50 $43.50

17.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$88.3 $88.3

13.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$113 $113

24.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,707 $1,707

43.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,364 $1,364

23.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,786 $2,786

69.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,437 $2,437

14.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,360 $2,360

73.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,313 $2,313

14.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.57

3.65%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Calhoun, 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%

Calhoun, GA

$1.4K 52% 18.7% $314

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Calhoun, GA

$375 14.3% 16.5% $74

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Calhoun, GA

$295 11.3% 14.2% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Calhoun, GA

$366 14% 13.5% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Calhoun, GA

$134 5.1% 16.7% $27

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Calhoun, GA

$19 * 0.7% 79.7% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Calhoun, GA

$67 2.6% 24.7% $22

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 $1,707 in Calhoun, GA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $86.0 in Calhoun, GA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $375 per month, with Calhoun, GA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Calhoun, GA

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

10:24 10:24 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

14,015

💱 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 Calhoun, GA 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Calhoun, GA wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calhoun, GA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,708 in Chicago, IL and $3,931 in Calhoun, GA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,707 in Calhoun, GA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,652 in Chicago, IL versus $582 in Calhoun, GA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Calhoun, GA – a meal for two runs $86.0 versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Calhoun, GA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calhoun, GA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,620 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calhoun, GA hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Calhoun, GA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.