Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Savannah, GA: $2,904 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Savannah, GA
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Savannah, GA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Savannah, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,904

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,904 in Savannah, GA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Savannah, GA $2,904

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,157 in Savannah, GA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Savannah, GA $4,157

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,411 in Savannah, GA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Savannah, GA $5,411

Chicago, IL costs about 5% more than Savannah, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Savannah, GA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Savannah, GA by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.80 $19.80

4.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$89.5 $89.5

-0.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.80 $11.80

11.78%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.14 $6.14

-7.82%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.60 $3.60

-26.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.94 $2.94

-22.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.10 $6.10

12.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.27 $8.27

6.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.98 $0.98

27.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.78 $2.78

33.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.15 $4.15

29.88%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.75 $3.75

26.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$14.19 $14.19

-2.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$8.13 $8.13

77.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.72 $18.72

-1.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$8.60 $8.60

-39.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.33 $2.33

-15.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$6.62 $6.62

-38.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.16 $6.16

-19.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.36 $4.36

-38.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.18 $3.18

-16.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.54 $2.54

-11.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.05 $2.05

52.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.94 $8.94

54.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.75 $12.75

16.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.10 $2.10

20.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.94 $2.94

19.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.52 $1.52

59.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$50.9 $50.9

44.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.96 $4.96

-35.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$4.95 $4.95

-71.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$50.6 $50.6

-50.49%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

24.01%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$27.2K $27.2K

-1.94%

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

$194 $194

$218 $218

-10.76%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$66.8 $66.8

3.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$83.5 $83.5

-26.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$53.3 $53.3

-10.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$34.91 $34.91

-21.68%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.99 $14.99

18.81%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$913 $913

96.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$18.1K $18.1K

76.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$65.0 $65.0

3.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$44.06 $44.06

18.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$130 $130

-21.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$133 $133

8.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,890 $1,890

33.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,438 $1,438

9.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,187 $3,187

48.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,121 $2,121

26.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,651 $3,651

14.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,226 $2,226

24.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,450 $3,450

42.93%

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 Savannah, GA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Savannah, GA

$1.4K 49.6% 8.8% $140

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Savannah, GA

$419 14.4% 6.3% $28

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Savannah, GA

$341 11.7% 1.2% $4.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Savannah, GA

$368 12.7% 13.1% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Savannah, GA

$167 5.8% 2% $3.3

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Savannah, GA

$87 3% 7.2% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Savannah, GA

$83 2.9% 0.2% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,890 in Savannah, 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 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 $89 in Savannah, GA. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $419 in Savannah, GA – so Savannah, GA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Savannah, GA

🕒 Local time

04:04 4:04 AM

05:04 5:04 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

146,444

💱 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 Savannah, GA 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,904 in Savannah, GA – Savannah, GA 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 $4,355 in Savannah, GA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Savannah, GA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,890 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Savannah, GA. 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.

Families tend to lean toward Savannah, 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 Savannah, 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.