Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Myrtle Beach, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Myrtle Beach, SC: $2,474 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Myrtle Beach, SC
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Myrtle Beach, SC Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Myrtle Beach, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,474 in Myrtle Beach, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Myrtle Beach, SC $2,474

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,472 in Myrtle Beach, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Myrtle Beach, SC $3,472

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,471 in Myrtle Beach, SC, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Myrtle Beach, SC $4,471

Chicago, IL costs about 27% more than Myrtle Beach, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Myrtle Beach, SC sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Myrtle Beach, SC by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$18.31 $18.31

12.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$73.6 $73.6

22.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.13 $11.13

16.26%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.14 $5.14

8.95%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.62 $2.62

0.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.18 $6.18

12.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.80 $6.80

29.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.89 $0.89

42.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.24 $3.24

17.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.32 $3.32

59.64%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.94 $3.94

20.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.92 $12.92

8.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$10.89 $10.89

34.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$15.07 $15.07

24.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.29 $1.29

53.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.32 $4.32

-9.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.62 $4.62

7.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.70 $3.70

-25.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.86 $2.86

-3.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.80 $1.80

23.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.23 $2.23

33.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$7.48 $7.48

87.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$12.87 $12.87

18.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.85 $1.85

39.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.11 $2.11

65.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.01 $3.01

10.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.90 $1.90

-24.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$30.24 $30.24

-19.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.93 $0.93

35.48%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.1K $28.1K

24.39%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$23.9K $23.9K

8.88%

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

$193 $193

$158 $158

22.00%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$67.2 $67.2

1.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$79.2 $79.2

-22.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$51.1 $51.1

5.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$15.07 $15.07

85.27%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$11.09 $11.09

59.96%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,453 $1,453

13.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$25.2K $25.2K

23.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$51.2 $51.2

28.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$37.71 $37.71

35.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$83.1 $83.1

20.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$89.1 $89.1

58.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,488 $1,488

64.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,287 $1,287

30.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,418 $2,418

95.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,811 $1,811

54.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,443 $2,443

68.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,353 $2,353

12.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$3,625 $3,625

34.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.48

5.09%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Myrtle Beach, SC: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$1.3K 52% 23.3% $390

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$373 15.1% 17% $76

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$306 12.4% 11% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$304 12.3% 5.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$118 4.8% 27.1% $44

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$13 * 0.5% 86.8% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Myrtle Beach, SC

$73 3% 18.3% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,488 in Myrtle Beach, 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 34% 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $74.0 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $373 – making Myrtle Beach, SC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Myrtle Beach, SC

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

04:10 4:10 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

29,175

💱 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 Myrtle Beach, SC 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,474 in Myrtle Beach, SC – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,710 in Myrtle Beach, SC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Myrtle Beach, SC, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $74.0 in Myrtle Beach, SC. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,474 in Myrtle Beach, 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 $2,474 in Myrtle Beach, SC to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Myrtle Beach, SC. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.