Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Conway, SC: $1,949 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

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

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

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Conway, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$1,949

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,949 per month in Conway, SC vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Conway, SC $1,949
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,208 per month in Conway, SC vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Conway, SC $3,208
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,467 per month in Conway, SC vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Conway, SC $4,467
Chicago, IL $5,999

Conway, SC is about 36% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Conway, SC and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Conway, SC by 43%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 $17.19

$20.71 $20.71

-17.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 $57.3

$89.2 $89.2

-35.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 $7.77

$13.19 $13.19

-41.09%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$5.66 $5.66

-0.88%

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

$1.49 $1.49

$2.64 $2.64

-43.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.28 $2.28

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 $6.03

$6.87 $6.87

-12.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$8.84 $8.84

-22.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.25 $1.25

-36.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.72 $3.72

-40.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$5.39 $5.39

-61.60%

Eggs

$4.68 $4.68

$4.74 $4.74

-1.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 $9.05

$13.84 $13.84

-34.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$14.40 $14.40

-58.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 $16.70

$18.38 $18.38

-9.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$5.22 $5.22

-42.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.98 $1.98

-42.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.06 $4.06

6.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$4.97 $4.97

-56.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.67 $2.67

-28.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.66 $2.66

-28.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.24 $2.24

-2.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.13 $3.13

-30.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.61 $8.61

$13.82 $13.82

-37.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 $10.96

$14.88 $14.88

-26.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.54 $2.54

-15.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.51 $3.51

-21.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.43 $2.43

-19.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.6 $65.6

$73.5 $73.5

-10.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.18 $3.18

-4.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.39 $1.39

33.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.25 $18.25

$25.03 $25.03

-27.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.20 $1.20

-32.50%

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

$31.8K $31.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-9.29%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.54%

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

$184 $184

$194 $194

-5.53%

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

$46.00 $46.00

$69.5 $69.5

-33.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$61.6 $61.6

10.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.37 $42.37

$47.90 $47.90

-11.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 $9.81

$17.81 $17.81

-44.92%

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

$1,491 $1,491

$1,794 $1,794

-16.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$31.9K $31.9K

-23.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 $54.8

$67.0 $67.0

-18.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.20 $39.20

$52.1 $52.1

-24.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 $92.8

$102 $102

-8.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$144 $144

0.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 $995

$2,526 $2,526

-60.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 $773

$1,578 $1,578

-51.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 $2,106

$4,738 $4,738

-55.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,948 $1,948

$2,693 $2,693

-27.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,442 $2,442

$4,190 $4,190

-41.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$2,768 $2,768

-10.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,586 $4,586

$4,931 $4,931

-7.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

6.81

-2.94%

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

Last update for Conway, 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

Conway, SC

$773 39.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 104% $805

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Conway, SC

$298 15.3%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 9.3% $28

Groceries & Markets

Conway, SC

$297 15.2%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 50.7% $150

Eating Out

Conway, SC

$284 14.6%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 21.5% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Conway, SC

$149 7.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 10% $15

Getting Around

Conway, SC

$86 4.4%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 8.9% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Conway, SC

$62 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 34.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Conway, 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 8% 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 $57 in Conway, SC versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $447 – making Conway, SC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Conway, SC

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

08:50 8:50 AM

07:50 7:50 AM

1 h behind Conway, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,334

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

Conway, SC Chicago, IL 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Conway, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,949 in Conway, SC, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Conway, SC comes out roughly 36% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,923 per month in Conway, 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 Conway, SC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 51% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Conway, SC and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Conway, SC, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Conway, SC it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Conway, SC – 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 Conway, 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.