Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pinehurst, NC and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Pinehurst, NC: $2,584 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Pinehurst, NC
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Pinehurst, NC Living Index
147

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

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Pinehurst, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,584

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,584 per month in Pinehurst, NC vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Pinehurst, NC $2,584
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,791 per month in Pinehurst, NC vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Pinehurst, NC $3,791
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,998 per month in Pinehurst, NC vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Pinehurst, NC $4,998
Chicago, IL $5,999

Pinehurst, NC is about 15% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Pinehurst, NC and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Pinehurst, NC by 90%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.28 $22.28

$20.71 $20.71

7.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.1 $61.1

$89.2 $89.2

-31.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 $9.96

$13.19 $13.19

-24.49%

Cappuccino

$5.07 $5.07

$5.66 $5.66

-10.42%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$2.64 $2.64

10.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.28 $2.28

-13.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$6.87 $6.87

-41.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 $6.08

$8.84 $8.84

-31.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.25 $1.25

-28.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.72 $3.72

19.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$5.39 $5.39

-58.26%

Eggs

$2.54 $2.54

$4.74 $4.74

-46.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$13.84 $13.84

-36.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.87 $13.87

$14.40 $14.40

-3.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.24 $27.24

$18.38 $18.38

48.20%

Apples (1kg)

$6.71 $6.71

$5.22 $5.22

28.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.98 $1.98

-35.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.53 $6.53

$4.06 $4.06

60.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.97 $4.97

-12.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.67 $2.67

-19.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.66 $2.66

-15.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.24 $2.24

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.13 $3.13

-6.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 $8.03

$13.82 $13.82

-41.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.31 $13.31

$14.88 $14.88

-10.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.54 $2.54

-33.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 $4.60

$3.51 $3.51

31.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.43 $2.43

-19.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.5 $55.5

$73.5 $73.5

-24.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 $7.03

$3.18 $3.18

121.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.39 $1.39

66.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.05 $15.05

$25.03 $25.03

-39.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.20 $1.20

-30.83%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-15.29%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.23%

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

$173 $173

$194 $194

-10.81%

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

$34.37 $34.37

$69.5 $69.5

-50.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.7 $62.7

$61.6 $61.6

1.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.51 $41.51

$47.90 $47.90

-13.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.02 $12.02

$17.81 $17.81

-32.51%

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

$1,295 $1,295

$1,794 $1,794

-27.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,991 $9,991

$31.9K $31.9K

-68.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.33 $38.33

$67.0 $67.0

-42.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.43 $31.43

$52.1 $52.1

-39.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 $85.0

$102 $102

-16.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.7 $94.7

$144 $144

-34.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,622 $1,622

$2,526 $2,526

-35.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,296 $1,296

$1,578 $1,578

-17.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 $2,487

$4,738 $4,738

-47.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,167 $2,167

$2,693 $2,693

-19.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,307 $2,307

$4,190 $4,190

-44.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,342 $2,342

$2,768 $2,768

-15.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,440 $2,440

$4,931 $4,931

-50.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.81

-1.91%

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

Last update for Pinehurst, NC: 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

Pinehurst, NC

$1.3K 50.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 21.7% $282

Groceries & Markets

Pinehurst, NC

$437 16.9%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 2.4% $10

Eating Out

Pinehurst, NC

$321 12.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 7.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pinehurst, NC

$270 10.5%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 20.4% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Pinehurst, NC

$112 4.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 46.1% $52

Getting Around

Pinehurst, NC

$82 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 14.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Pinehurst, NC

$66 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 27.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,622 in Pinehurst, NC 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 in Chicago, IL are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Pinehurst, NC versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $437 vs $447 – making Pinehurst, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pinehurst, NC

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

23:02 11:02 PM

22:02 10:02 PM

1 h behind Pinehurst, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,000

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

Pinehurst, NC Chicago, IL 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pinehurst, NC
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

Pinehurst, NC vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,584 in Pinehurst, NC, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Pinehurst, NC comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,877 per month in Pinehurst, NC 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 Pinehurst, NC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,622 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

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

Public transport costs about 25% less in Pinehurst, NC. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,584 in Pinehurst, NC 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 Pinehurst, NC – 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 Pinehurst, NC. 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.