Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilton Head Island, SC and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Hilton Head Island, SC: $2,925 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Chicago, IL despite lower rent and utilities.

142

Cost of Living Index in Hilton Head Island, SC
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Hilton Head Island, SC Living Index
147

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

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Hilton Head Island, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,925

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,925 per month in Hilton Head Island, SC vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Hilton Head Island, SC $2,925
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $2,687 per month in Hilton Head Island, SC vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Hilton Head Island, SC $2,687
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $2,449 per month in Hilton Head Island, SC vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Hilton Head Island, SC $2,449
Chicago, IL $5,999

Hilton Head Island, SC is about 4% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hilton Head Island, SC and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Hilton Head Island, SC by 115%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$20.71 $20.71

-3.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 $60.1

$89.2 $89.2

-32.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.29 $11.29

$13.19 $13.19

-14.40%

Cappuccino

$4.97 $4.97

$5.66 $5.66

-12.19%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$2.64 $2.64

17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.28 $2.28

-10.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$6.87 $6.87

-28.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 $6.07

$8.84 $8.84

-31.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 $0.71

$1.25 $1.25

-43.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.72 $3.72

-12.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$5.39 $5.39

-31.54%

Eggs

$2.91 $2.91

$4.74 $4.74

-38.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 $8.72

$13.84 $13.84

-36.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 $9.56

$14.40 $14.40

-33.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$18.38 $18.38

-28.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$5.22 $5.22

-11.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.98 $1.98

-26.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$4.06 $4.06

-4.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$4.97 $4.97

-8.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.67 $2.67

8.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.66 $2.66

15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.24 $2.24

12.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.13 $3.13

-22.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.05 $9.05

$13.82 $13.82

-34.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$14.88 $14.88

1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.54 $2.54

-16.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.51 $3.51

-10.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.18 $3.18

-51.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.39 $1.39

-18.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.75 $13.75

$25.03 $25.03

-45.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.20 $1.20

-21.67%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-11.04%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.97%

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

$216 $216

$194 $194

11.17%

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

$55.1 $55.1

$69.5 $69.5

-20.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.8 $67.8

$61.6 $61.6

9.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.28 $20.28

$47.90 $47.90

-57.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.54 $14.54

$17.81 $17.81

-18.36%

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

$1,294 $1,294

$1,794 $1,794

-27.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$31.9K $31.9K

-62.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.48 $34.48

$67.0 $67.0

-48.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.82 $34.82

$52.1 $52.1

-33.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 $80.3

$102 $102

-20.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 $71.4

$144 $144

-50.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 $2,151

$2,526 $2,526

-14.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,769 $1,769

$1,578 $1,578

12.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 $2,272

$4,738 $4,738

-52.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,619 $3,619

$4,190 $4,190

-13.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,538 $3,538

$2,768 $2,768

27.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,451 $3,451

$4,931 $4,931

-30.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.81

-2.50%

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

Last update for Hilton Head Island, SC: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hilton Head Island, SC

$1.8K 60.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 10.8% $191

Groceries & Markets

Hilton Head Island, SC

$351 12%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 27.5% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hilton Head Island, SC

$339 11.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 4% $14

Eating Out

Hilton Head Island, SC

$310 10.6%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 11.2% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Hilton Head Island, SC

$99 3.4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 64.9% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Hilton Head Island, SC

$49 1.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 69.2% $34

Getting Around

Hilton Head Island, SC

$7.2 * 0.3%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 1202% $86

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,151 in Hilton Head Island, 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 43% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Hilton Head Island, SC versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $447 – making Hilton Head Island, SC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hilton Head Island, SC

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

14:12 2:12 PM

13:12 1:12 PM

1 h behind Hilton Head Island, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,512

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Hilton Head Island, SC Chicago, IL 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Hilton Head Island, 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

Hilton Head Island, SC vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,925 in Hilton Head Island, SC, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Hilton Head Island, SC comes out roughly 4% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,387 per month in Hilton Head Island, 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 Hilton Head Island, SC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,151 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Hilton Head Island, SC and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,925 in Hilton Head Island, 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 Hilton Head Island, 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 Hilton Head Island, 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.