Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Fayetteville, GA: $2,649 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Fayetteville, GA
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Fayetteville, GA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Fayetteville, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,649

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,649 in Fayetteville, GA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Fayetteville, GA $2,649

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,798 in Fayetteville, GA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Fayetteville, GA $3,798

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,947 in Fayetteville, GA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Fayetteville, GA $4,947

Chicago, IL costs about 15% more than Fayetteville, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Fayetteville, GA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Fayetteville, GA by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.09 $20.09

3.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$60.5 $60.5

47.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.57 $11.57

14.00%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.07 $5.07

11.64%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.01 $3.01

-12.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.79 $1.79

27.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.01 $6.01

14.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.08 $7.08

24.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.02 $1.02

22.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.65 $3.65

1.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.23 $4.23

27.42%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.15 $4.15

14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.52 $12.52

10.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.33 $11.33

27.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.32 $17.32

6.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.99 $4.99

4.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.55 $1.55

27.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.30 $4.30

-5.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.57 $4.57

8.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.76 $2.76

-3.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.01 $3.01

-11.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.18 $2.18

2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.32 $2.32

34.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.93 $9.93

39.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.97 $14.97

-0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.24 $2.24

13.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.01 $3.01

16.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.04 $2.04

19.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$59.7 $59.7

23.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.12 $3.12

1.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.73 $1.73

-19.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$30.88 $30.88

-18.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.02 $1.02

17.65%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.6K $28.6K

22.72%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.02%

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

$194 $194

$219 $219

-11.04%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$58.0 $58.0

19.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$69.8 $69.8

-11.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$34.49 $34.49

38.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.53 $14.53

22.57%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,495 $1,495

20.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$21.9K $21.9K

45.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$56.9 $56.9

17.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$43.89 $43.89

18.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$94.3 $94.3

7.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$124 $124

15.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,573 $1,573

60.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,298 $1,298

21.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,539 $2,539

86.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,072 $2,072

29.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,695 $2,695

55.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,490 $2,490

11.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

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 25, 2026

Last update for Fayetteville, GA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Fayetteville, GA

$1.3K 49% 17.8% $280

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Fayetteville, GA

$399 15.1% 10.9% $49

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Fayetteville, GA

$320 12.1% 7.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Fayetteville, GA

$346 13.1% 6.4% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Fayetteville, GA

$144 5.4% 12.3% $20

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Fayetteville, GA

$80 3% 14.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Fayetteville, GA

$64 2.4% 23.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,573 in Fayetteville, GA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $60 in Fayetteville, GA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $399 – making Fayetteville, GA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Fayetteville, GA

🕒 Local time

04:11 4:11 AM

05:11 5:11 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

93,949

💱 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 Fayetteville, GA 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,649 in Fayetteville, GA – Fayetteville, GA comes out roughly 13% 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 $3,974 in Fayetteville, GA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fayetteville, GA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,573 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $60 in Fayetteville, GA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,649 in Fayetteville, GA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Fayetteville, GA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 13% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.