Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Kenansville, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Kenansville, NC: $2,511 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Kenansville, NC
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Kenansville, NC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Kenansville, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Kenansville, NC

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 Kenansville, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,511 in Kenansville, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Kenansville, NC $2,511

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,669 in Kenansville, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Kenansville, NC $3,669

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,828 in Kenansville, NC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Kenansville, NC $4,828

Chicago, IL costs about 21% more than Kenansville, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Kenansville, NC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Kenansville, NC by 84%.

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

$89.1 $89.1

0.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.92 $11.92

10.65%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.07 $6.07

-6.75%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.79 $2.79

-5.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.07 $2.07

10.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.07 $6.07

13.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.88 $6.88

28.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.99 $0.99

26.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.18 $3.18

16.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.25 $5.25

2.67%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.02 $3.02

56.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$10.30 $10.30

34.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$6.12 $6.12

135.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$13.02 $13.02

41.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.56 $2.56

103.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.28 $1.28

54.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.33 $4.33

-6.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.26 $4.26

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.33 $2.33

14.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.84 $3.84

-30.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.85 $1.85

21.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.32 $2.32

34.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$6.05 $6.05

128.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$7.85 $7.85

89.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.76 $1.76

44.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.11 $2.11

66.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.92 $1.92

26.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$66.2 $66.2

11.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.62 $4.62

-31.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.32 $1.32

5.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$20.19 $20.19

23.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.01 $1.01

18.81%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.6K $27.6K

27.04%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.86%

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

$194 $194

$203 $203

-4.44%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$39.71 $39.71

74.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$66.7 $66.7

-7.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$39.91 $39.91

20.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$8.98 $8.98

98.33%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$791 $791

126.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$15.8K $15.8K

102.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$45.41 $45.41

47.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$48.13 $48.13

8.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$78.9 $78.9

28.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$112 $112

28.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,580 $1,580

59.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,299 $1,299

21.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,508 $2,508

88.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,106 $2,106

27.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,733 $2,733

53.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,507 $2,507

10.39%

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 Kenansville, NC: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Kenansville, NC

$1.3K 51.8% 17.7% $279

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Kenansville, NC

$313 12.5% 30% $134

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Kenansville, NC

$317 12.6% 8% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Kenansville, NC

$310 12.3% 4.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Kenansville, NC

$128 5.1% 21.9% $36

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Kenansville, NC

$85 3.4% 8.9% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Kenansville, NC

$58 2.3% 30.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,580 in Kenansville, NC. 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 $89 in Kenansville, NC. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $313 in Kenansville, NC – so Kenansville, NC wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Kenansville, NC

🕒 Local time

07:09 7:09 AM

08:09 8:09 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Kenansville, NC 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Kenansville, NC

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 Kenansville, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,511 in Kenansville, NC – Kenansville, NC comes out roughly 17% 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 $3,766 in Kenansville, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kenansville, NC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,580 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Kenansville, NC. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,511 in Kenansville, NC. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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