Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Goose Creek, SC and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Goose Creek, SC: $2,461 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Goose Creek, SC
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Goose Creek, SC Living Index
153

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

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Goose Creek, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,461

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,461 per month in Goose Creek, SC vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Goose Creek, SC $2,461
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,453 per month in Goose Creek, SC vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Goose Creek, SC $3,453
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,445 per month in Goose Creek, SC vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Goose Creek, SC $4,445
Chicago, IL $6,077

Goose Creek, SC is about 23% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Goose Creek, SC and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Goose Creek, SC by 82%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 $16.19

$21.58 $21.58

-24.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 $59.1

$88.7 $88.7

-33.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$13.20 $13.20

-15.15%

Cappuccino

$4.93 $4.93

$5.59 $5.59

-11.81%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$2.63 $2.63

3.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.26 $2.26

-10.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 $4.92

$7.11 $7.11

-30.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 $5.96

$9.23 $9.23

-35.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.28 $1.28

-32.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.84 $3.84

-21.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$5.07 $5.07

-36.88%

Eggs

$2.90 $2.90

$4.84 $4.84

-40.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 $12.87

$14.17 $14.17

-9.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.01 $15.01

$14.61 $14.61

2.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 $14.00

$18.76 $18.76

-25.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$5.19 $5.19

5.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.00 $2.00

-28.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.00 $4.00

18.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.98 $4.98

-9.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.79 $2.79

37.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.65 $2.65

17.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.13 $2.13

-7.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.09 $3.09

-42.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.78 $7.78

$16.05 $16.05

-51.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.03 $12.03

$15.20 $15.20

-20.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.62 $2.62

-7.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$3.46 $3.46

4.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.47 $2.47

-21.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 $59.5

$75.1 $75.1

-20.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.21 $3.21

-7.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.39 $1.39

7.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.15 $25.15

$25.02 $25.02

0.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.24 $1.24

-34.68%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$37.2K $37.2K

-24.79%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.28%

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

$174 $174

$192 $192

-9.48%

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

$67.2 $67.2

$67.8 $67.8

-0.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.5 $82.5

$60.9 $60.9

35.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.41 $44.41

$53.6 $53.6

-17.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.13 $18.13

$27.90 $27.90

-35.02%

Cinema Ticket

$10.65 $10.65

$17.80 $17.80

-40.17%

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

$653 $653

$1,554 $1,554

-57.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K $13.0K

$31.4K $31.4K

-58.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.32 $47.32

$67.9 $67.9

-30.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.96 $37.96

$50.8 $50.8

-25.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 $81.7

$101 $101

-19.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.5 $97.5

$143 $143

-31.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 $1,373

$2,383 $2,383

-42.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 $1,210

$1,712 $1,712

-29.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 $1,954

$4,674 $4,674

-58.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 $1,737

$2,738 $2,738

-36.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,025 $2,025

$4,158 $4,158

-51.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 $2,130

$2,691 $2,691

-20.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,036 $3,036

$4,894 $4,894

-37.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

6.77

-6.50%

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

Last update for Goose Creek, SC: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Goose Creek, SC

$1.2K 49.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 41.5% $502

Groceries & Markets

Goose Creek, SC

$387 15.7%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 16.6% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Goose Creek, SC

$324 13.2%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 0.8% $2.7

Eating Out

Goose Creek, SC

$278 11.3%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 27.1% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Goose Creek, SC

$119 4.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 37.4% $44

Getting Around

Goose Creek, SC

$78 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 22.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Goose Creek, SC

$66 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 35.7% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,373 in Goose Creek, SC versus $2,383 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 61% 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 $59.0 in Goose Creek, SC versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $451 – making Goose Creek, SC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Goose Creek, SC

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

07:50 7:50 AM

06:50 6:50 AM

1 h behind Goose Creek, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,938

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Goose Creek, SC Chicago, IL 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Goose Creek, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,461 in Goose Creek, SC, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,691 per month in Goose Creek, SC and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 17% 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Goose Creek, SC and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Goose Creek, SC, where all-in costs run around $2,461, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Goose Creek, 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 $2,461 in Goose Creek, SC to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Goose Creek, 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.