Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Hilton Head Island, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Hilton Head Island, SC: $2,925 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Chicago, IL despite lower rent and utilities.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in Hilton Head Island, SC
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Hilton Head Island, SC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Hilton Head Island, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,925 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Hilton Head Island, SC $2,925

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,687 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Hilton Head Island, SC $2,687

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,449 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Hilton Head Island, SC $2,449

Chicago, IL costs about 4% more than Hilton Head Island, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Hilton Head Island, SC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Hilton Head Island, SC by 115%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.92 $19.92

3.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$60.1 $60.1

48.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.29 $11.29

16.83%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.97 $4.97

13.88%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.09 $3.09

-14.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.03 $2.03

12.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.93 $4.93

39.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.07 $6.07

45.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.71 $0.71

76.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.27 $3.27

13.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.69 $3.69

46.07%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$2.91 $2.91

62.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$8.72 $8.72

58.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$9.56 $9.56

50.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$13.15 $13.15

39.77%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.61 $4.61

13.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.46 $1.46

35.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.87 $3.87

4.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.57 $4.57

8.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.89 $2.89

-7.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.08 $3.08

-13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.53 $2.53

-11.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.43 $2.43

28.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.05 $9.05

52.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.07 $15.07

-1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.13 $2.13

19.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.14 $3.14

11.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.54 $1.54

106.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.13 $1.13

23.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$13.75 $13.75

82.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.94 $0.94

27.66%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$31.2K $31.2K

12.40%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.06%

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

$194 $194

$216 $216

-10.05%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$55.1 $55.1

25.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$67.8 $67.8

-9.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$20.28 $20.28

136.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.54 $14.54

22.49%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,294 $1,294

38.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$11.9K $11.9K

168.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$34.48 $34.48

94.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$34.82 $34.82

49.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$80.3 $80.3

26.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$71.4 $71.4

101.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,151 $2,151

17.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,769 $1,769

-10.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,272 $2,272

108.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,619 $3,619

15.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,538 $3,538

-21.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,451 $3,451

42.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.64

2.56%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hilton Head Island, SC: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$1.8K 60.5% 12.1% $191

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$351 12% 21.5% $96

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$310 10.6% 10.1% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$339 11.6% 4.2% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$99 3.4% 39.4% $65

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$7.2 * 0.3% 92.3% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$49 1.7% 40.9% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,151 in Hilton Head Island, 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 43% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $60 in Hilton Head Island, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $351 – making Hilton Head Island, SC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Hilton Head Island, SC

🕒 Local time

14:37 2:37 PM

15:37 3:37 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

40,512

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Hilton Head Island, SC 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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Chicago, IL
Hilton Head Island, SC

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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 Hilton Head Island, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,925 in Hilton Head Island, SC – Hilton Head Island, SC comes out roughly 4% 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 $4,387 in Hilton Head Island, SC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hilton Head Island, SC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,151 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

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

Groceries cost about 27% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,925 in Hilton Head Island, SC. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Hilton Head Island, 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 Hilton Head Island, 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.