Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Bonita Springs, FL
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Bonita Springs, FL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Bonita Springs, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,618

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Bonita Springs, FL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chicago, IL and in Bonita Springs, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 16% more expensive than in Bonita Springs, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.80 $19.80

4.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$76.0 $76.0

17.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.80 $11.80

11.78%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.85 $5.85

-3.25%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.02 $2.02

30.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.02 $2.02

12.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.03 $6.03

13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.17 $8.17

8.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.26 $1.26

-0.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.88 $3.88

-4.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.02 $5.02

7.37%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.56 $3.56

33.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.33 $13.33

3.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.21 $11.21

28.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$16.91 $16.91

8.69%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.34 $5.34

-2.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.75 $1.75

13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.35 $3.35

21.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.85 $3.85

29.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.68 $2.68

-0.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.98 $2.98

-10.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.41 $2.41

-7.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.38 $2.38

31.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.09 $9.09

52.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.77 $14.77

0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.59 $2.59

-1.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$5.28 $5.28

-33.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.95 $1.95

24.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$65.4 $65.4

12.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.53 $2.53

25.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.47 $1.47

-5.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$20.06 $20.06

24.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.82 $0.82

46.34%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$32.0K $32.0K

9.63%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.36%

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

$194 $194

$159 $159

22.57%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$73.6 $73.6

-5.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$76.9 $76.9

-19.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$42.23 $42.23

13.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.82 $14.82

20.18%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,458 $1,458

23.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$22.0K $22.0K

45.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$55.9 $55.9

19.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$43.28 $43.28

20.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$80.6 $80.6

25.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$121 $121

18.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,592 $1,592

58.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,284 $1,284

22.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,507 $2,507

89.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,154 $2,154

25.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,753 $2,753

52.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,425 $2,425

14.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$6,346 $6,346

-22.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.4

6.41%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Bonita Springs, FL

$1.3K 49.1% 18.6% $294

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Bonita Springs, FL

$408 15.6% 8.9% $40

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Bonita Springs, FL

$327 12.5% 5.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Bonita Springs, FL

$309 11.8% 5.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Bonita Springs, FL

$135 5.2% 17.5% $29

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Bonita Springs, FL

$83 3.2% 11.1% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Bonita Springs, FL

$72 2.8% 14% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,592 in Bonita Springs, FL. 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: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $76 in Bonita Springs, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $408 per month, with Bonita Springs, FL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bonita Springs, FL

🕒 Local time

07:01 7:01 AM

08:01 8:01 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

40,877

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Bonita Springs, FL 1,810 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Bonita Springs, FL

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

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

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.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Chicago, IL. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,592 in Bonita Springs, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

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.

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.

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.