Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Topeka, KS and Hilton Head Island, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Topeka, KS: $1,901 a month against $2,991 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Topeka, KS
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Topeka, KS Living Index
143

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

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Topeka, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,901

/mo nomad

Hilton Head Island, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,991

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Topeka, KS and in Hilton Head Island, SC

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Topeka, KS and in Hilton Head Island, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,901 per month in Topeka, KS vs $2,991 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent included.

Topeka, KS $1,901
Hilton Head Island, SC $2,991

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Topeka, KS vs $2,726 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent included.

Topeka, KS $2,863
Hilton Head Island, SC $2,726

A family of three spends $3,825 per month in Topeka, KS vs $2,461 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent included.

Topeka, KS $3,825
Hilton Head Island, SC $2,461

Topeka, KS is about 36% cheaper than Hilton Head Island, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Topeka, KS and Hilton Head Island, SC sit above the global median – Topeka, KS by 40%, Hilton Head Island, SC by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.27 $13.27

$20.26 $20.26

-34.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.2 $51.2

$60.9 $60.9

-15.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 $10.03

$11.56 $11.56

-13.24%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$4.95 $4.95

-31.31%

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

$2.35 $2.35

$2.94 $2.94

-20.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.99 $1.99

-9.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 $4.46

$4.87 $4.87

-8.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.81 $8.81

$6.07 $6.07

45.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.76 $0.76

13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 $2.70

$3.28 $3.28

-17.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.66 $3.66

-19.67%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$2.79 $2.79

46.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 $8.93

$9.07 $9.07

-1.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 $8.26

$9.62 $9.62

-14.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 $15.10

$13.33 $13.33

13.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$4.56 $4.56

7.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.41 $1.41

12.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.91 $3.91

31.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$4.53 $4.53

-8.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.01 $3.01

15.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$3.15 $3.15

-17.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.56 $2.56

-27.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 $0.80

$2.37 $2.37

-66.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.17 $9.17

$9.30 $9.30

-1.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 $12.05

$14.85 $14.85

-18.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.15 $2.15

-13.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$3.23 $3.23

-48.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.91 $3.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.53 $49.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.49 $1.49

81.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.16 $1.16

31.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.60 $33.60

$13.92 $13.92

141.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$0.94 $0.94

-6.38%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$31.7K $31.7K

-16.96%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.80%

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

$145 $145

$218 $218

-33.13%

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

$47.02 $47.02

$55.2 $55.2

-14.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.0 $65.0

$68.1 $68.1

-4.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.11 $44.11

$19.81 $19.81

122.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.09 $15.09

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 $13.38

$14.30 $14.30

-6.43%

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

$434 $434

$1,287 $1,287

-66.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K $12.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.71 $38.71

$34.61 $34.61

11.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.08 $28.08

$34.73 $34.73

-19.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 $89.7

$81.0 $81.0

10.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 $80.4

$69.6 $69.6

15.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$792 $792

$2,159 $2,159

-63.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$835 $835

$1,831 $1,831

-54.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 $1,283

$2,304 $2,304

-44.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 $1,496

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,443 $1,443

$3,567 $3,567

-59.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,334 $1,334

$3,528 $3,528

-62.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,708 $3,708

$3,404 $3,404

8.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

6.69

-6.73%

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

Last update for Topeka, KS: October 17, 2026

Last update for Hilton Head Island, SC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Topeka, KS

$835 43.9%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$1.8K 61.2% 119% $996

Groceries & Markets

Topeka, KS

$322 16.9%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$352 11.8% 9.4% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Topeka, KS

$257 13.5%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$341 11.4% 32.4% $83

Eating Out

Topeka, KS

$234 12.3%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$312 10.4% 33.7% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Topeka, KS

$107 5.6%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$99 3.3% 7.2% $7.7

Getting Around

Topeka, KS

$75 4%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$7.3 * 0.2% 90.3% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Topeka, KS

$71 3.7%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$48 1.6% 31.7% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $792 in Topeka, KS versus $2,159 in Hilton Head Island, SC. 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 9% higher in Topeka, KS, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Topeka, KS versus $61.0 in Hilton Head Island, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $352 – making Topeka, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Topeka, KS

🇺🇸 Hilton Head Island, SC

🕒 Local time

05:53 5:53 AM

06:53 6:53 AM

1 h ahead of Topeka, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,331

40,512

💱 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

Topeka, KS Hilton Head Island, SC 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Topeka, KS
Hilton Head Island, SC

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

Topeka, KS vs Hilton Head Island, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilton Head Island, SC costs about 57% more than Topeka, KS, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,851 per month in Topeka, KS and $4,486 in Hilton Head Island, SC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,901 in Topeka, KS and $2,991 in Hilton Head Island, SC. That's a gap of about 57%.

Kindergarten costs $434 per month in Topeka, KS and $1,287 in Hilton Head Island, SC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Topeka, KS, where all-in costs run around $1,901, than in Hilton Head Island, SC at $2,991. In Topeka, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hilton Head Island, SC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Topeka, KS. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hilton Head Island, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.