Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbia, SC and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Columbia, SC: $2,193 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Columbia, SC
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Columbia, SC Living Index
147

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

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Columbia, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,193

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Columbia, SC and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Columbia, SC and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,193 per month in Columbia, SC vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Columbia, SC $2,193
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,366 per month in Columbia, SC vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Columbia, SC $3,366
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,538 per month in Columbia, SC vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Columbia, SC $4,538
Chicago, IL $5,999

Columbia, SC is about 28% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Columbia, SC and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Columbia, SC by 61%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.80 $19.80

$20.71 $20.71

-4.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.1 $61.1

$89.2 $89.2

-31.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.97 $11.97

$13.19 $13.19

-9.25%

Cappuccino

$5.42 $5.42

$5.66 $5.66

-4.24%

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

$2.80 $2.80

$2.64 $2.64

6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.28 $2.28

-4.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 $5.43

$6.87 $6.87

-20.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 $6.39

$8.84 $8.84

-27.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.25 $1.25

-32.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.72 $3.72

-31.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.39 $5.39

-16.14%

Eggs

$4.03 $4.03

$4.74 $4.74

-14.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 $10.49

$13.84 $13.84

-24.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.14 $11.14

$14.40 $14.40

-22.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 $15.89

$18.38 $18.38

-13.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$5.22 $5.22

0.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.98 $1.98

-17.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.45 $6.45

$4.06 $4.06

58.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$4.97 $4.97

24.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.67 $2.67

16.10%

Onion (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.66 $2.66

63.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.24 $2.24

-10.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$3.13 $3.13

-42.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.40 $8.40

$13.82 $13.82

-39.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.62 $15.62

$14.88 $14.88

4.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.54 $2.54

-27.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.51 $3.51

-23.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.43 $2.43

-18.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.15 $40.15

$73.5 $73.5

-45.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.18 $3.18

-37.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.39 $1.39

14.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.89 $17.89

$25.03 $25.03

-28.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.20 $1.20

-24.17%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-23.48%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$26.7K $26.7K

-5.52%

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

$277 $277

$194 $194

42.61%

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

$60.2 $60.2

$69.5 $69.5

-13.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 $63.8

$61.6 $61.6

3.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.47 $34.47

$47.90 $47.90

-28.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.22 $18.22

$27.34 $27.34

-33.36%

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 $15.22

$17.81 $17.81

-14.54%

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

$1,117 $1,117

$1,794 $1,794

-37.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K $22.9K

$31.9K $31.9K

-28.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 $52.3

$67.0 $67.0

-22.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.57 $39.57

$52.1 $52.1

-24.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 $82.2

$102 $102

-19.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$144 $144

-20.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 $1,430

$2,526 $2,526

-43.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$832 $832

$1,578 $1,578

-47.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,198 $3,198

$4,738 $4,738

-32.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,672 $1,672

$2,693 $2,693

-37.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,313 $2,313

$4,190 $4,190

-44.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,668 $1,668

$2,768 $2,768

-39.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,240 $3,240

$4,931 $4,931

-34.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.81

-3.67%

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

Last update for Columbia, SC: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Columbia, SC

$832 37.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 89.8% $746

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbia, SC

$401 18.3%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 18.9% $76

Groceries & Markets

Columbia, SC

$389 17.7%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 15.1% $59

Eating Out

Columbia, SC

$319 14.6%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 8.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Columbia, SC

$130 5.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 26.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Columbia, SC

$65 3%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 28.7% $19

Getting Around

Columbia, SC

$58 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 61% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,430 in Columbia, SC versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. 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 52% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Columbia, SC versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $447 – making Columbia, SC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbia, SC

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:52 9:52 PM

20:52 8:52 PM

1 h behind Columbia, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

139,698

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Columbia, SC Chicago, IL 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Columbia, SC
Chicago, IL

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

Columbia, SC vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,193 in Columbia, SC, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Columbia, SC comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,290 per month in Columbia, SC and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Columbia, SC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,430 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Columbia, SC and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Columbia, SC, where all-in costs run around $2,193, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Columbia, SC it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,193 in Columbia, SC to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Columbia, 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.