Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Chicago, IL and in Charleston, SC: $3,185 and $3,314 a month, rent and utilities included.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Charleston, SC
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Charleston, SC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,314

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,314 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Charleston, SC $3,314

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,834 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Charleston, SC $4,834

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,355 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Charleston, SC $6,355

Chicago, IL is about 4% cheaper than Charleston, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Charleston, SC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Charleston, SC by 145%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$19.88 $19.88

8.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$131 $131

-32.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$11.91 $11.91

10.83%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.90 $5.90

-5.25%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.91 $2.91

-9.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.37 $2.37

-4.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$6.68 $6.68

6.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$7.88 $7.88

17.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.15 $1.15

11.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$4.13 $4.13

-7.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$4.57 $4.57

10.94%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$5.25 $5.25

-7.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$22.51 $22.51

-37.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$14.38 $14.38

1.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$20.97 $20.97

-10.54%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$7.97 $7.97

-34.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.86 $1.86

7.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.98 $4.98

-19.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$7.09 $7.09

-29.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$5.08 $5.08

-45.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.65 $3.65

-27.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.85 $2.85

-25.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.30 $3.30

-6.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$9.84 $9.84

63.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$20.33 $20.33

-25.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.74 $2.74

-4.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.04 $3.04

13.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.99 $1.99

24.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

$57.8 $57.8

30.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.06 $3.06

4.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.23 $1.23

13.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$31.67 $31.67

-21.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.96 $0.96

29.17%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$35.7K $35.7K

4.08%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

0.05%

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

$192 $192

$233 $233

-17.51%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$78.3 $78.3

-13.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$85.8 $85.8

-29.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$45.77 $45.77

17.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$19.74 $19.74

41.34%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$14.14 $14.14

25.88%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,274 $1,274

21.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$27.2K $27.2K

15.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$78.9 $78.9

-14.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$45.52 $45.52

11.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$114 $114

-10.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$136 $136

5.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$2,353 $2,353

1.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,728 $1,728

-0.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$3,610 $3,610

29.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,630 $2,630

4.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$5,673 $5,673

-26.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$3,048 $3,048

-11.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$4,858 $4,858

0.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.51

3.99%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Charleston, SC: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Charleston, SC

$1.7K 52.2% 1% $16

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Charleston, SC

$535 16.1% 18.5% $84

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Charleston, SC

$336 10.1% 4.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Charleston, SC

$397 12% 23.7% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Charleston, SC

$169 5.1% 3.1% $5.1

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Charleston, SC

$75 2.3% 21.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Charleston, SC

$74 2.2% 17% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $2,353 in Charleston, SC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1% higher in Chicago, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $131 in Charleston, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $535 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Charleston, SC

🕒 Local time

05:08 5:08 AM

06:08 6:08 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

150,227

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Charleston, SC 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Charleston, SC costs about 4% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,970 in Charleston, SC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,554 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,274 in Charleston, SC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Charleston, SC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,185 in Chicago, IL and $3,314 in Charleston, SC. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chicago, IL costs $3,185 versus $3,314 in Charleston, SC. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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