Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Hartsville, SC: $2,610 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Hartsville, SC
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Hartsville, SC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Hartsville, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,610 in Hartsville, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Hartsville, SC $2,610

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,896 in Hartsville, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Hartsville, SC $3,896

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,182 in Hartsville, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Hartsville, SC $5,182

Chicago, IL costs about 18% more than Hartsville, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Hartsville, SC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Hartsville, SC by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$21.56 $21.56

-5.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$90.1 $90.1

-1.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$11.62 $11.62

10.59%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.65 $5.65

2.30%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.84 $2.84

-3.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.23 $2.23

1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$6.05 $6.05

13.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$6.83 $6.83

35.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.87 $0.87

44.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.75 $3.75

-5.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.12 $3.12

72.44%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.78 $4.78

-4.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$15.58 $15.58

-12.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$9.83 $9.83

43.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$17.94 $17.94

0.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$6.47 $6.47

-20.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.24 $1.24

59.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.36 $4.36

-11.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.70 $5.70

-15.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.96 $2.96

-5.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.48 $3.48

-23.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.17 $2.17

-4.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.22 $2.22

36.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$8.51 $8.51

63.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.99 $14.99

0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.14 $2.14

22.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.65 $2.65

30.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.09 $2.09

16.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$52.8 $52.8

42.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.92 $2.92

8.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.86 $1.86

-8.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$17.88 $17.88

39.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.96 $0.96

33.33%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$31.6K $31.6K

13.43%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

5.13%

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

$192 $192

$186 $186

3.52%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$56.8 $56.8

22.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$66.6 $66.6

-6.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$35.82 $35.82

33.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$15.29 $15.29

16.61%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,287 $1,287

41.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$24.8K $24.8K

63.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$55.2 $55.2

19.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$56.0 $56.0

-8.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$94.3 $94.3

9.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$144 $144

-1.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,583 $1,583

59.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,254 $1,254

29.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,574 $2,574

87.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,097 $2,097

30.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,631 $2,631

58.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,319 $2,319

17.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.77

0.15%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Hartsville, SC: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Hartsville, SC

$1.3K 48.1% 22.6% $367

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Hartsville, SC

$410 15.7% 6.6% $29

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Hartsville, SC

$339 13% 1.4% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Hartsville, SC

$309 11.8% 4.6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Hartsville, SC

$157 6% 3.8% $6.2

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Hartsville, SC

$73 2.8% 24.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Hartsville, SC

$66 2.5% 20.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,583 in Hartsville, SC. 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 $90 in Hartsville, SC. Groceries tell a different story – $439 in Chicago, IL vs $410 in Hartsville, SC – so Hartsville, SC wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Hartsville, SC

🕒 Local time

09:33 9:33 AM

10:33 10:33 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

7,500

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Hartsville, SC 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,610 in Hartsville, SC – Hartsville, SC comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,915 in Hartsville, SC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hartsville, SC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,583 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Hartsville, SC. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,610 in Hartsville, SC. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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