Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Daytona Beach, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Daytona Beach, FL: $2,645 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Daytona Beach, FL
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Daytona Beach, FL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Daytona Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,645 in Daytona Beach, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Daytona Beach, FL $2,645

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,834 in Daytona Beach, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Daytona Beach, FL $3,834

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,024 in Daytona Beach, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Daytona Beach, FL $5,024

Chicago, IL costs about 19% more than Daytona Beach, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Daytona Beach, FL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Daytona Beach, FL by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$21.30 $21.30

-3.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$80.6 $80.6

11.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.03 $12.03

7.56%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$7.20 $7.20

-22.22%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.08 $3.08

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.38 $2.38

-4.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.87 $6.87

1.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.52 $6.52

35.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.04 $1.04

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.88 $2.88

31.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.51 $2.51

111.16%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.85 $4.85

-1.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$7.45 $7.45

87.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$12.36 $12.36

18.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$12.94 $12.94

45.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.92 $5.92

-12.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.39 $1.39

42.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.13 $4.13

-4.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.16 $3.16

56.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.50 $2.50

10.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.42 $2.42

14.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.37 $1.37

62.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.75 $1.75

70.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$8.39 $8.39

67.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$10.79 $10.79

41.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.04 $2.04

26.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.66 $2.66

31.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.48 $1.48

66.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

$35.44 $35.44

110.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$25.19 $25.19

-3.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.94 $0.94

34.04%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$26.3K $26.3K

33.11%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.0K $26.0K

0.16%

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

$193 $193

$142 $142

35.50%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$66.4 $66.4

2.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$78.1 $78.1

-21.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$28.92 $28.92

87.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$25.19 $25.19

10.84%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$13.58 $13.58

30.63%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$621 $621

165.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$52.3 $52.3

26.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$51.8 $51.8

-1.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$85.9 $85.9

16.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$113 $113

24.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,577 $1,577

55.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,424 $1,424

17.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,447 $2,447

92.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,227 $2,227

25.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,631 $2,631

56.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,540 $2,540

4.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$3,219 $3,219

51.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.68

1.95%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Daytona Beach, FL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Daytona Beach, FL

$1.4K 53.9% 15.1% $254

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Daytona Beach, FL

$338 12.8% 24.8% $112

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Daytona Beach, FL

$362 13.7% 5.4% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Daytona Beach, FL

$287 10.8% 11% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Daytona Beach, FL

$136 5.2% 15.5% $25

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Daytona Beach, FL

$41 * 1.6% 56.5% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Daytona Beach, FL

$56 2.1% 37.4% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,577 in Daytona Beach, FL. 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 51% 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $81.0 in Daytona Beach, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $338 – making Daytona Beach, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Daytona Beach, FL

🕒 Local time

07:15 7:15 AM

08:15 8:15 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

64,183

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Daytona Beach, FL 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Daytona Beach, 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 Daytona Beach, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,645 in Daytona Beach, FL – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,967 in Daytona Beach, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Daytona Beach, FL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $81.0 in Daytona Beach, FL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,645 in Daytona Beach, FL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,645 in Daytona Beach, FL to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Daytona Beach, 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.