Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Greenville, SC: $2,542 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Greenville, SC
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Greenville, SC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Greenville, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,542

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,542 in Greenville, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Greenville, SC $2,542

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,831 in Greenville, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Greenville, SC $3,831

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,120 in Greenville, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Greenville, SC $5,120

Chicago, IL costs about 19% more than Greenville, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Greenville, SC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Greenville, SC by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$18.15 $18.15

14.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$97.5 $97.5

-8.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.85 $10.85

21.57%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.51 $5.51

2.72%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.03 $3.03

-12.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.99 $1.99

14.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.98 $5.98

14.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.66 $7.66

15.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.95 $0.95

31.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.74 $3.74

-0.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.77 $4.77

13.00%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.89 $3.89

21.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$15.31 $15.31

-9.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.05 $13.05

10.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.89 $19.89

-7.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.75 $6.75

-22.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.51 $1.51

31.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$7.54 $7.54

-46.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.70 $5.70

-12.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.75 $4.75

-43.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.22 $4.22

-36.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.78 $2.78

-19.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.04 $2.04

53.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.53 $8.53

62.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.19 $15.19

-2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.61 $1.61

57.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.72 $1.72

104.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.49 $1.49

63.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$49.06 $49.06

49.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.54 $3.54

-10.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.47 $1.47

-5.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$17.96 $17.96

39.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.89 $0.89

34.83%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$25.9K $25.9K

35.20%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.5K $25.5K

4.79%

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

$194 $194

$147 $147

31.86%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$70.8 $70.8

-1.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$60.7 $60.7

1.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$64.5 $64.5

-25.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$14.22 $14.22

92.26%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.77 $14.77

20.58%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,674 $1,674

7.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$10.2K $10.2K

214.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$52.1 $52.1

28.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$36.36 $36.36

43.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$88.4 $88.4

14.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$133 $133

8.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,712 $1,712

47.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,201 $1,201

31.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,632 $2,632

80.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,960 $1,960

37.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,250 $3,250

28.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,031 $2,031

36.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,490 $4,490

9.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.72

1.34%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Greenville, SC: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Greenville, SC

$1.2K 47.2% 23.9% $377

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Greenville, SC

$454 17.9% 1.5% $6.6

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Greenville, SC

$309 12.2% 10.4% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Greenville, SC

$279 11% 14.3% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Greenville, SC

$139 5.5% 15% $25

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Greenville, SC

$66 2.6% 29.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Greenville, SC

$94 3.7% 12.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,712 in Greenville, 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 10% 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 $98 in Greenville, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $454 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Greenville, SC

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

19:07 7:07 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

70,720

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Greenville, SC 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,542 in Greenville, SC – Greenville, SC comes out roughly 16% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,813 in Greenville, SC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Greenville, SC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,712 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $98 in Greenville, SC. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 33% less in Greenville, SC. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,542 in Greenville, SC. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,542 in Greenville, SC to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Greenville, 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.