Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Coral, FL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Coral, FL: $2,560 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Cape Coral, FL
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Cape Coral, FL Living Index
147

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

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Cape Coral, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,560

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,560 per month in Cape Coral, FL vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cape Coral, FL $2,560
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,046 per month in Cape Coral, FL vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cape Coral, FL $4,046
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,533 per month in Cape Coral, FL vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cape Coral, FL $5,533
Chicago, IL $5,999

Cape Coral, FL is about 16% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Coral, FL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Cape Coral, FL by 88%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.57 $29.57

$20.71 $20.71

42.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$89.2 $89.2

10.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 $9.85

$13.19 $13.19

-25.32%

Cappuccino

$5.11 $5.11

$5.66 $5.66

-9.72%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$2.64 $2.64

9.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.28 $2.28

-7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 $5.07

$6.87 $6.87

-26.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 $7.17

$8.84 $8.84

-18.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.25 $1.25

-14.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.72 $3.72

-13.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$5.39 $5.39

-31.73%

Eggs

$3.29 $3.29

$4.74 $4.74

-30.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 $9.50

$13.84 $13.84

-31.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.97 $12.97

$14.40 $14.40

-9.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.57 $13.57

$18.38 $18.38

-26.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$5.22 $5.22

3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.98 $1.98

-5.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$4.06 $4.06

5.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$4.97 $4.97

-8.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.67 $2.67

7.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.66 $2.66

24.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.24 $2.24

16.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$3.13 $3.13

-39.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.08 $8.08

$13.82 $13.82

-41.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 $10.82

$14.88 $14.88

-27.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.54 $2.54

-10.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.51 $3.51

-39.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.55 $35.55

$73.5 $73.5

-51.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.18 $3.18

23.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.39 $1.39

33.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.47 $24.47

$25.03 $25.03

-2.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.20 $1.20

-17.50%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-18.85%

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

$19.8K $19.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

-25.84%

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

$210 $210

$194 $194

8.17%

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

$58.2 $58.2

$69.5 $69.5

-16.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.3 $81.3

$61.6 $61.6

31.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.27 $32.27

$47.90 $47.90

-32.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.39 $12.39

$17.81 $17.81

-30.43%

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

$844 $844

$1,794 $1,794

-52.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.4K $42.4K

$31.9K $31.9K

32.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.02 $47.02

$67.0 $67.0

-29.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.84 $34.84

$52.1 $52.1

-33.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 $84.7

$102 $102

-16.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$144 $144

-11.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,786 $1,786

$2,526 $2,526

-29.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 $1,216

$1,578 $1,578

-22.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,600 $2,600

$4,738 $4,738

-45.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,475 $2,475

$2,693 $2,693

-8.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,746 $2,746

$4,190 $4,190

-34.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,732 $2,732

$2,768 $2,768

-1.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,820 $3,820

$4,931 $4,931

-22.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

6.81

-5.73%

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

Last update for Cape Coral, 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

Cape Coral, FL

$1.2K 47.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 29.8% $362

Eating Out

Cape Coral, FL

$387 15.1%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 10.9% $42

Groceries & Markets

Cape Coral, FL

$368 14.4%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 21.5% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Coral, FL

$350 13.7%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 6.9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Coral, FL

$132 5.2%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 23.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Coral, FL

$57 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 46.4% $26

Getting Around

Cape Coral, FL

$49 * 1.9%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 91.7% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,786 in Cape Coral, FL versus $2,526 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 29% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Cape Coral, FL versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $368 in Cape Coral, FL vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Cape Coral, FL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cape Coral, FL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

20:05 8:05 PM

19:05 7:05 PM

1 h behind Cape Coral, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

154,305

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Coral, FL Chicago, IL 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cape Coral, 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

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

Chicago, IL costs about 19% more than Cape Coral, 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 $3,839 per month in Cape Coral, FL and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Coral, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,786 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Cape Coral, FL and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,560 in Cape Coral, FL and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. That makes Cape Coral, FL about 16% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,560 in Cape Coral, FL and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

If budget matters most, go with Cape Coral, FL. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.