Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bonita Springs, FL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Bonita Springs, FL: $2,618 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bonita Springs, FL, United States
Chicago, IL, United States
Bonita Springs, FL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,618
/mo nomad
Chicago, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$3,037
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,618 in Bonita Springs, FL versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

  • Bonita Springs, FL $2,618
  • Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,867 in Bonita Springs, FL versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

  • Bonita Springs, FL $3,867
  • Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,116 in Bonita Springs, FL versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

  • Bonita Springs, FL $5,116
  • Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Bonita Springs, FL costs roughly 14% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bonita Springs, FL 92% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bonita Springs, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.80 $19.80
$20.71 $20.71
-4.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.0 $76.0
$89.2 $89.2
-14.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.80 $11.80
$13.19 $13.19
-10.54%
Cappuccino
$5.85 $5.85
$5.66 $5.66
3.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 $2.02
$2.64 $2.64
-23.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 $2.02
$2.28 $2.28
-11.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.03 $6.03
$6.87 $6.87
-12.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.17 $8.17
$8.84 $8.84
-7.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bonita Springs, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 $1.26
$1.25 $1.25
0.80%
White Bread (500g)
$3.88 $3.88
$3.72 $3.72
4.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.02 $5.02
$5.39 $5.39
-6.86%
Eggs
$3.56 $3.56
$4.74 $4.74
-24.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.33 $13.33
$13.84 $13.84
-3.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.21 $11.21
$14.40 $14.40
-22.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.91 $16.91
$18.38 $18.38
-8.00%
Apples (1kg)
$5.34 $5.34
$5.22 $5.22
2.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 $1.75
$1.98 $1.98
-11.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.35 $3.35
$4.06 $4.06
-17.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.85 $3.85
$4.97 $4.97
-22.54%
Potato (1kg)
$2.68 $2.68
$2.67 $2.67
0.37%
Onion (1kg)
$2.98 $2.98
$2.66 $2.66
12.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.41 $2.41
$2.24 $2.24
7.59%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.38 $2.38
$3.13 $3.13
-23.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.09 $9.09
$13.82 $13.82
-34.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.77 $14.77
$14.88 $14.88
-0.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 $2.59
$2.54 $2.54
1.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.28 $5.28
$3.51 $3.51
50.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Bonita Springs, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.95 $1.95
$2.43 $2.43
-19.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.4 $65.4
$73.5 $73.5
-11.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.53 $2.53
$3.18 $3.18
-20.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 $1.47
$1.39 $1.39
5.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.06 $20.06
$25.03 $25.03
-19.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 $0.82
$1.20 $1.20
-31.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.0K $32.0K
$35.0K $35.0K
-8.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$26.7K $26.7K
0.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bonita Springs, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$159 $159
$194 $194
-18.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$73.6 $73.6
$69.5 $69.5
5.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$76.9 $76.9
$61.6 $61.6
24.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bonita Springs, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.23 $42.23
$47.90 $47.90
-11.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$27.34 $27.34
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.82 $14.82
$17.81 $17.81
-16.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bonita Springs, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,458 $1,458
$1,794 $1,794
-18.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.0K $22.0K
$31.9K $31.9K
-31.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bonita Springs, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.9 $55.9
$67.0 $67.0
-16.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.28 $43.28
$52.1 $52.1
-16.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.6 $80.6
$102 $102
-20.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 $121
$144 $144
-15.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bonita Springs, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,592 $1,592
$2,526 $2,526
-37.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,284 $1,284
$1,578 $1,578
-18.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,507 $2,507
$4,738 $4,738
-47.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,154 $2,154
$2,693 $2,693
-20.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,753 $2,753
$4,190 $4,190
-34.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,425 $2,425
$2,768 $2,768
-12.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bonita Springs, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,346 $6,346
$4,931 $4,931
28.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.4
6.81
-6.02%

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

Last update for Bonita Springs, FL: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bonita Springs, FL
$1.3K
Chicago, IL
$1.6K 22.9% $294
Groceries & Markets
Bonita Springs, FL
$408
Chicago, IL
$447 9.8% $40
Eating Out
Bonita Springs, FL
$327
Chicago, IL
$345 5.6% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bonita Springs, FL
$309
Chicago, IL
$326 5.3% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Bonita Springs, FL
$135
Chicago, IL
$164 21.2% $29
Getting Around
Bonita Springs, FL
$83
Chicago, IL
$93 12.4% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Bonita Springs, FL
$72
Chicago, IL
$84 16.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,592 in Bonita Springs, FL and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bonita Springs, FL pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $76 in Bonita Springs, FL vs $89 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $447 per month, with Bonita Springs, FL cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Bonita Springs, FL
🇺🇸 Chicago, IL
🕒 Local time
07:08 7:08 AM
06:08 6:08 AM
1 h behind Bonita Springs, FL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
40,877
2,746,388
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bonita Springs, FL Chicago, IL 1,810 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bonita Springs, FL
  • 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
Bonita Springs, FL vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bonita Springs, FL or Chicago, IL?
Bonita Springs, FL wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bonita Springs, FL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Bonita Springs, FL or in Chicago, IL?
Average pay runs 29% higher in Bonita Springs, FL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Bonita Springs, FL compared to Chicago, IL?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,592 in Bonita Springs, FL versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Bonita Springs, FL or in Chicago, IL?
Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Bonita Springs, FL and in Chicago, IL?
Dining out is cheaper in Bonita Springs, FL – a meal for two runs $76 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Bonita Springs, FL or in Chicago, IL?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Bonita Springs, FL is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Bonita Springs, FL or Chicago, IL?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Bonita Springs, FL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Bonita Springs, FL vs other spots: cost of living compared

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