Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bradenton, FL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Bradenton, FL: $2,617 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Bradenton, FL
Learn more

Bradenton, FL Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Bradenton, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,617

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,617 per month in Bradenton, FL vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bradenton, FL $2,617
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,654 per month in Bradenton, FL vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bradenton, FL $3,654
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,691 per month in Bradenton, FL vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bradenton, FL $4,691
Chicago, IL $6,077

Bradenton, FL is about 18% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bradenton, FL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Bradenton, FL by 94%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.30 $20.30

$21.58 $21.58

-5.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.8 $70.8

$88.7 $88.7

-20.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.20 $12.20

$13.20 $13.20

-7.58%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$5.59 $5.59

-8.23%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$2.63 $2.63

-2.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.26 $2.26

-11.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 $4.92

$7.11 $7.11

-30.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 $5.96

$9.23 $9.23

-35.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.28 $1.28

-33.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 $3.42

$3.84 $3.84

-10.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$5.07 $5.07

-35.90%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$4.84 $4.84

-16.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$14.17 $14.17

-37.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.18 $12.18

$14.61 $14.61

-16.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.24 $18.24

$18.76 $18.76

-2.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$5.19 $5.19

-39.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.00 $2.00

-26.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$4.00 $4.00

-44.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$4.98 $4.98

-9.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.79 $2.79

-21.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$2.65 $2.65

41.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.13 $2.13

8.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$3.09 $3.09

-44.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.17 $8.17

$16.05 $16.05

-49.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 $11.86

$15.20 $15.20

-21.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.62 $2.62

-17.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 $4.62

$3.46 $3.46

33.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.47 $2.47

-19.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.21 $3.21

-39.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.39 $1.39

82.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.24 $1.24

-27.42%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$37.2K $37.2K

-33.15%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

-4.86%

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

$186 $186

$192 $192

-3.15%

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

$53.6 $53.6

$67.8 $67.8

-20.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 $52.9

$60.9 $60.9

-13.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.49 $33.49

$53.6 $53.6

-37.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.95 $9.95

$27.90 $27.90

-64.34%

Cinema Ticket

$13.14 $13.14

$17.80 $17.80

-26.18%

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

$1,906 $1,906

$1,554 $1,554

22.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$31.4K $31.4K

-48.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.78 $42.78

$67.9 $67.9

-36.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.52 $39.52

$50.8 $50.8

-22.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 $77.9

$101 $101

-23.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 $99.2

$143 $143

-30.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,622 $1,622

$2,383 $2,383

-31.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 $1,452

$1,712 $1,712

-15.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,544 $2,544

$4,674 $4,674

-45.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,088 $2,088

$2,738 $2,738

-23.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,077 $3,077

$4,158 $4,158

-25.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,896 $2,896

$2,691 $2,691

7.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,106 $4,106

$4,894 $4,894

-16.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.77

1.18%

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

Last update for Bradenton, FL: 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

Bradenton, FL

$1.5K 55.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 17.9% $260

Groceries & Markets

Bradenton, FL

$358 13.7%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 26.1% $93

Eating Out

Bradenton, FL

$315 12.1%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 12% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bradenton, FL

$293 11.2%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 9.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Bradenton, FL

$117 4.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 40% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Bradenton, FL

$60 2.3%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 49.2% $29

Getting Around

Bradenton, FL

$23 * 0.9%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 321% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,622 in Bradenton, FL 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 19% 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 $71.0 in Bradenton, FL versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $451 – making Bradenton, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bradenton, FL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

04:41 4:41 AM

03:41 3:41 AM

1 h behind Bradenton, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,662

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

Bradenton, FL Chicago, IL 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bradenton, 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

Bradenton, FL vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL costs about 22% more than Bradenton, FL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,926 per month in Bradenton, FL 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 Bradenton, FL, 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 $2,617 in Bradenton, FL and $3,185 in Chicago, IL. That's a gap of about 22%.

Kindergarten costs $1,906 per month in Bradenton, FL and $1,554 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,617 in Bradenton, FL and $3,185 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bradenton, FL costs $2,617 versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Bradenton, FL. 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.