Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Hartsville, SC: $2,631 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

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

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

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Hartsville, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,631

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,631 per month in Hartsville, SC vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Hartsville, SC $2,631
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,904 per month in Hartsville, SC vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Hartsville, SC $3,904
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,177 per month in Hartsville, SC vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Hartsville, SC $5,177
Chicago, IL $5,999

Hartsville, SC is about 13% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hartsville, SC and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Hartsville, SC by 93%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.93 $21.93

$20.71 $20.71

5.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 $88.4

$89.2 $89.2

-0.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 $11.68

$13.19 $13.19

-11.45%

Cappuccino

$5.81 $5.81

$5.66 $5.66

2.65%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$2.64 $2.64

10.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.28 $2.28

-5.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$6.87 $6.87

-14.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 $7.02

$8.84 $8.84

-20.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.25 $1.25

-29.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.72 $3.72

-1.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$5.39 $5.39

-41.56%

Eggs

$4.54 $4.54

$4.74 $4.74

-4.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.84 $13.84

10.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$14.40 $14.40

-29.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.53 $17.53

$18.38 $18.38

-4.62%

Apples (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$5.22 $5.22

22.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.98 $1.98

-34.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$4.06 $4.06

8.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$4.97 $4.97

13.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.67 $2.67

14.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.66 $2.66

30.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.24 $2.24

-5.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$3.13 $3.13

-28.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.00 $9.00

$13.82 $13.82

-34.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.14 $15.14

$14.88 $14.88

1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.54 $2.54

-14.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.51 $3.51

-24.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.43 $2.43

-28.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.0 $58.0

$73.5 $73.5

-21.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.18 $3.18

-5.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.39 $1.39

32.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.71 $17.71

$25.03 $25.03

-29.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.20 $1.20

-15.00%

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

$30.7K $30.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-12.45%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.96%

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

$185 $185

$194 $194

-4.79%

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

$56.4 $56.4

$69.5 $69.5

-18.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 $66.7

$61.6 $61.6

8.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.28 $41.28

$47.90 $47.90

-13.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.81 $14.81

$17.81 $17.81

-16.84%

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

$1,296 $1,296

$1,794 $1,794

-27.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K $24.9K

$31.9K $31.9K

-22.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 $54.2

$67.0 $67.0

-19.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 $56.4

$52.1 $52.1

8.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 $92.7

$102 $102

-8.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$144 $144

-1.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,544 $1,544

$2,526 $2,526

-38.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 $1,267

$1,578 $1,578

-19.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$4,738 $4,738

-46.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 $2,085

$2,693 $2,693

-22.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,694 $2,694

$4,190 $4,190

-35.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,084 $2,084

$2,768 $2,768

-24.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

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 Hartsville, SC: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hartsville, SC

$1.3K 48.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 24.6% $311

Groceries & Markets

Hartsville, SC

$409 15.6%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 9.3% $38

Eating Out

Hartsville, SC

$344 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 0.3% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hartsville, SC

$308 11.7%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 5.6% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Hartsville, SC

$155 5.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 5.8% $8.9

Getting Around

Hartsville, SC

$77 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 20.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Hartsville, SC

$71 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 17.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,544 in Hartsville, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88 in Hartsville, SC versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $447 – making Hartsville, SC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hartsville, SC

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:31 9:31 PM

20:31 8:31 PM

1 h behind Hartsville, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,500

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Hartsville, SC Chicago, IL 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hartsville, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,631 in Hartsville, SC, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Hartsville, SC comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,947 per month in Hartsville, 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 Hartsville, SC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,544 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Hartsville, SC. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,631 in Hartsville, SC and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Hartsville, SC – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.