Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lawrenceville, GA: $2,627 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Lawrenceville, GA
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Lawrenceville, GA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Lawrenceville, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,627

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,627 in Lawrenceville, GA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Lawrenceville, GA $2,627

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,748 in Lawrenceville, GA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Lawrenceville, GA $3,748

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,870 in Lawrenceville, GA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Lawrenceville, GA $4,870

Chicago, IL costs about 16% more than Lawrenceville, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Lawrenceville, GA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Lawrenceville, GA by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$18.16 $18.16

14.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$96.2 $96.2

-7.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.51 $9.51

38.70%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.31 $5.31

6.59%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.98 $2.98

-11.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.02 $2.02

12.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.89 $5.89

16.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.93 $5.93

49.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.91 $0.91

37.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.05 $3.05

21.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.75 $4.75

13.47%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$2.05 $2.05

131.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$15.28 $15.28

-9.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.98 $12.98

10.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.30 $17.30

6.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.77 $6.77

-22.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.57 $1.57

26.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$7.57 $7.57

-46.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.01 $6.01

-17.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.92 $4.92

-45.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.21 $4.21

-36.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.65 $2.65

-15.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.96 $1.96

59.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.54 $8.54

61.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.95 $14.95

-0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.70 $1.70

49.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.73 $1.73

102.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$65.2 $65.2

12.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.58 $3.58

-11.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.46 $1.46

-4.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$18.22 $18.22

37.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.95 $0.95

26.32%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$16.3K $16.3K

115.60%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.51%

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

$194 $194

$138 $138

41.19%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$57.1 $57.1

21.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$60.1 $60.1

2.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$83.1 $83.1

-42.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$24.56 $24.56

11.32%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.07 $15.07

18.18%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,702 $1,702

5.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$9,980 $9,980

220.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$36.61 $36.61

83.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$35.10 $35.10

48.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$87.0 $87.0

16.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$131 $131

9.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,665 $1,665

51.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,321 $1,321

19.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,254 $2,254

110.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,784 $1,784

50.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,840 $3,840

9.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,706 $2,706

2.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,538 $4,538

8.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.59

3.34%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lawrenceville, GA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Lawrenceville, GA

$1.3K 50.3% 16.3% $257

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Lawrenceville, GA

$432 16.5% 3.4% $15

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Lawrenceville, GA

$299 11.4% 13.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Lawrenceville, GA

$255 9.7% 21.7% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Lawrenceville, GA

$130 5% 20.5% $34

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Lawrenceville, GA

$76 * 2.9% 18.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Lawrenceville, GA

$113 4.3% 35.6% $30

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 $1,665 in Lawrenceville, GA. 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 9% 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 $96 in Lawrenceville, GA. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $432 in Lawrenceville, GA – so Lawrenceville, GA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Lawrenceville, GA

🕒 Local time

13:41 1:41 PM

14:41 2:41 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

29,873

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Lawrenceville, GA 940 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,627 in Lawrenceville, GA – Lawrenceville, GA comes out roughly 13% 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 $3,941 in Lawrenceville, GA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lawrenceville, GA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,665 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $96 in Lawrenceville, 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 $2,627 in Lawrenceville, GA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lawrenceville, GA – 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 Lawrenceville, GA. 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.