Cost of Living: Columbia, SC vs Chicago, IL
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,143/mo in Columbia, SC versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 16.87% of gross in Columbia, SC versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Columbia, SC tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Columbia, SC and Chicago, IL.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Chicago, IL
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Columbia, SC
- Lower home prices: Chicago, IL
- Higher median household income: Chicago, IL
Cost of Living Index
Columbia, SC: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)
Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Columbia, SC, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Columbia, SC: $1,100/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo
Median rent in Chicago, IL is $223/mo higher than in Columbia, SC.
Median Home Price
Columbia, SC: $243,500 · Chicago, IL: $147,800
Median home price in Columbia, SC is $95,700 higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Household Income
Columbia, SC: $55,653 · Chicago, IL: $56,815
Chicago, IL has a higher median household income than Columbia, SC by $1,162.
Columbia, SC overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons