Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Spartanburg, SC: $2,299 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Spartanburg, SC
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Spartanburg, SC Living Index
153

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

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Spartanburg, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,299

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,299 per month in Spartanburg, SC vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Spartanburg, SC $2,299
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,394 per month in Spartanburg, SC vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Spartanburg, SC $3,394
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,488 per month in Spartanburg, SC vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Spartanburg, SC $4,488
Chicago, IL $6,077

Spartanburg, SC is about 28% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Spartanburg, SC and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Spartanburg, SC by 70%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 $17.24

$21.58 $21.58

-20.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 $60.7

$88.7 $88.7

-31.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 $9.84

$13.20 $13.20

-25.45%

Cappuccino

$5.71 $5.71

$5.59 $5.59

2.15%

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

$2.13 $2.13

$2.63 $2.63

-19.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.26 $2.26

3.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$7.11 $7.11

-28.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 $7.07

$9.23 $9.23

-23.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.28 $1.28

-21.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.84 $3.84

-8.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$5.07 $5.07

11.64%

Eggs

$3.82 $3.82

$4.84 $4.84

-21.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$14.17 $14.17

-7.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.91 $12.91

$14.61 $14.61

-11.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.56 $16.56

$18.76 $18.76

-11.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$5.19 $5.19

-37.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.00 $2.00

19.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$4.00 $4.00

-2.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.15 $6.15

$4.98 $4.98

23.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.79 $2.79

-3.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.65 $2.65

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.13 $2.13

4.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.09 $3.09

-4.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.05 $9.05

$16.05 $16.05

-43.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.77 $16.77

$15.20 $15.20

10.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 $6.93

$3.46 $3.46

100.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$119 $119

$75.1 $75.1

58.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.24 $1.24

-30.65%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$37.2K $37.2K

-7.29%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$25.8K $25.8K

2.55%

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

$177 $177

$192 $192

-7.89%

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

$93.5 $93.5

$67.8 $67.8

37.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.5 $61.5

$60.9 $60.9

0.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.87 $26.87

$53.6 $53.6

-49.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$12.23 $12.23

$17.80 $17.80

-31.29%

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

$942 $942

$1,554 $1,554

-39.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.14 $41.14

$67.9 $67.9

-39.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.13 $35.13

$50.8 $50.8

-30.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 $80.0

$101 $101

-21.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$143 $143

-17.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 $1,248

$2,383 $2,383

-47.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$959 $959

$1,712 $1,712

-43.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,161 $2,161

$4,674 $4,674

-53.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 $1,588

$2,738 $2,738

-42.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,819 $1,819

$4,158 $4,158

-56.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,821 $1,821

$2,691 $2,691

-32.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,464 $3,464

$4,894 $4,894

-29.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.22

6.77

6.65%

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

Last update for Spartanburg, SC: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Spartanburg, SC

$959 41.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 78.5% $753

Groceries & Markets

Spartanburg, SC

$421 * 18.3%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 7.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Spartanburg, SC

$332 14.4%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 3.3% $11

Eating Out

Spartanburg, SC

$293 12.8%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 20.3% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Spartanburg, SC

$123 5.4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 32.5% $40

Getting Around

Spartanburg, SC

$119 * 5.2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 20.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Spartanburg, SC

$51 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 73.7% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,248 in Spartanburg, 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 41% 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 $61.0 in Spartanburg, SC versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $421 vs $451 – making Spartanburg, SC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Spartanburg, SC

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

02:26 2:26 AM

01:26 1:26 AM

1 h behind Spartanburg, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,013

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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Between locations

Spartanburg, SC Chicago, IL 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Spartanburg, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,299 in Spartanburg, SC, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,449 per month in Spartanburg, 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 Spartanburg, SC, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% 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 $61.0 in Spartanburg, 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 Spartanburg, SC, where all-in costs run around $2,299, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Spartanburg, 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 $2,299 in Spartanburg, SC to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Spartanburg, 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.