Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Conway, SC: $1,949 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 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
93

Cost of Living Index in Conway, SC
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Conway, SC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Conway, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,949 in Conway, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Conway, SC $1,949

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,208 in Conway, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Conway, SC $3,208

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,467 in Conway, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Conway, SC $4,467

Chicago, IL costs about 56% more than Conway, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Conway, SC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Conway, SC by 43%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$17.19 $17.19

20.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$57.3 $57.3

55.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$7.77 $7.77

69.76%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.61 $5.61

0.89%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.49 $1.49

77.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.52 $1.52

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.03 $6.03

13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.83 $6.83

29.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.80 $0.80

56.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.23 $2.23

66.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.07 $2.07

160.39%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.68 $4.68

1.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$9.05 $9.05

52.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$5.99 $5.99

140.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$16.70 $16.70

10.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.00 $3.00

74.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.13 $1.13

75.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.32 $4.32

-6.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.17 $2.17

129.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.92 $1.92

39.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.91 $1.91

39.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.19 $2.19

2.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.16 $2.16

44.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.61 $8.61

60.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$10.96 $10.96

35.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.15 $2.15

18.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.77 $2.77

26.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.96 $1.96

23.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$65.6 $65.6

12.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.04 $3.04

4.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.85 $1.85

-24.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$18.25 $18.25

37.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.81 $0.81

48.15%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$31.8K $31.8K

10.24%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.61%

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

$194 $194

$184 $184

5.86%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$46.00 $46.00

50.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$68.1 $68.1

-9.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$42.37 $42.37

13.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$9.81 $9.81

81.55%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,491 $1,491

20.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$24.5K $24.5K

30.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$54.8 $54.8

22.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.20 $39.20

33.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$92.8 $92.8

9.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$145 $145

-0.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$995 $995

153.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$773 $773

104.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,106 $2,106

125.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,948 $1,948

38.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,442 $2,442

71.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,482 $2,482

11.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,586 $4,586

7.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.61

3.03%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Conway, SC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Conway, SC

$773 39.7% 51% $805

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Conway, SC

$297 15.2% 33.6% $150

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Conway, SC

$284 14.6% 17.7% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Conway, SC

$298 15.3% 8.5% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Conway, SC

$149 7.7% 9.1% $15

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Conway, SC

$86 4.4% 8.2% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Conway, SC

$62 3.2% 25.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $995 in Conway, 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 8% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $57 in Conway, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $297 – making Conway, SC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Conway, SC

🕒 Local time

08:27 8:27 AM

09:27 9:27 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

55,334

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Conway, SC 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $1,949 in Conway, SC – Conway, SC comes out roughly 36% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,923 in Conway, SC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Conway, SC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 51% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $57 in Conway, SC. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Conway, SC, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Conway, SC it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Conway, SC – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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