Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suwanee, GA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Suwanee, GA: $2,988 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Chicago, IL despite lower rent and utilities.

146

Cost of Living Index in Suwanee, GA
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Suwanee, GA Living Index
152

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

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Suwanee, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,988

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,988 per month in Suwanee, GA vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Suwanee, GA $2,988
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,197 per month in Suwanee, GA vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Suwanee, GA $4,197
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,405 per month in Suwanee, GA vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Suwanee, GA $5,405
Chicago, IL $6,115

Suwanee, GA is about 5% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Suwanee, GA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Suwanee, GA by 121%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.93 $19.93

$20.65 $20.65

-3.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 $79.6

$90.2 $90.2

-11.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 $10.96

$12.94 $12.94

-15.30%

Cappuccino

$5.36 $5.36

$5.60 $5.60

-4.29%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$2.64 $2.64

3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.27 $2.27

-8.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 $6.09

$6.98 $6.98

-12.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 $7.34

$8.83 $8.83

-16.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.27 $1.27

-31.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.80 $3.80

-2.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$5.30 $5.30

-9.62%

Eggs

$4.03 $4.03

$4.76 $4.76

-15.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.44 $11.44

$13.96 $13.96

-18.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.82 $8.82

$14.61 $14.61

-39.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.75 $19.75

$18.77 $18.77

5.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$5.19 $5.19

-13.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.98 $1.98

-24.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.93 $3.93

3.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.96 $4.96

-7.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.76 $2.76

34.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.76 $2.76

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.22 $2.22

3.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.98 $2.98

-33.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.25 $8.25

$14.02 $14.02

-41.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 $15.12

$15.28 $15.28

-1.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.58 $2.58

-37.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.50 $3.50

-50.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.34 $3.34

-10.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.43 $1.43

4.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.14 $18.14

$24.32 $24.32

-25.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.26 $1.26

-30.16%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-25.11%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.64%

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

$221 $221

$193 $193

14.45%

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

$68.7 $68.7

$68.3 $68.3

0.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.7 $88.7

$61.3 $61.3

44.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.79 $49.79

$54.1 $54.1

-8.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$27.92 $27.92

-46.92%

Cinema Ticket

$16.80 $16.80

$17.74 $17.74

-5.30%

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

$1,288 $1,288

$1,652 $1,652

-22.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,807 $9,807

$31.1K $31.1K

-68.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 $52.3

$66.1 $66.1

-20.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.32 $44.32

$51.2 $51.2

-13.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 $88.9

$100 $100

-11.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$141 $141

-7.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 $1,927

$2,446 $2,446

-21.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 $1,671

$1,678 $1,678

-0.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,615 $2,615

$4,717 $4,717

-44.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,513 $2,513

$2,795 $2,795

-10.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.81

-1.32%

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

Last update for Suwanee, GA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Suwanee, GA

$1.7K 55.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 0.4% $6.8

Groceries & Markets

Suwanee, GA

$382 12.8%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 17.5% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suwanee, GA

$378 12.7%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 14.7% $56

Eating Out

Suwanee, GA

$321 10.7%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 7% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Suwanee, GA

$142 4.8%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 13.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Suwanee, GA

$83 2.8%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 7.4% $6.2

Getting Around

Suwanee, GA

$10 * 0.4%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 809% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,927 in Suwanee, GA versus $2,446 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 $80.0 in Suwanee, GA versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $449 – making Suwanee, GA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Suwanee, GA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

07:31 7:31 AM

1 h behind Suwanee, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,549

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Suwanee, GA Chicago, IL 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Suwanee, GA
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

Suwanee, GA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,988 in Suwanee, GA, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,482 per month in Suwanee, GA and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Suwanee, GA and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,988 in Suwanee, GA and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,988 in Suwanee, GA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Suwanee, GA. 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.