Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,584 in Delray Beach, FL, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Delray Beach, FL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
171

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Delray Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,584

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,584 in Delray Beach, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Delray Beach, FL $3,584

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,795 in Delray Beach, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Delray Beach, FL $5,795

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $8,007 in Delray Beach, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Delray Beach, FL $8,007

Chicago, IL is about 15% cheaper than Delray Beach, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Delray Beach, FL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Delray Beach, FL by 163%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$30.11 $30.11

-31.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$118 $118

-24.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$14.88 $14.88

-11.36%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.77 $5.77

-1.91%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.05 $3.05

-13.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.05 $2.05

11.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.82 $7.82

-12.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.90 $9.90

-10.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.40 $1.40

-10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.44 $4.44

-16.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.33 $3.33

61.86%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.98 $4.98

-4.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.07 $13.07

5.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.21 $12.21

17.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.86 $18.86

-2.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.08 $5.08

2.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.78 $1.78

11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.09 $3.09

31.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.29 $4.29

15.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.15 $3.15

-15.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.33 $3.33

-20.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.84 $2.84

-21.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.22 $2.22

40.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.13 $9.13

51.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.25 $15.25

-2.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.96 $1.96

29.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.02 $3.02

16.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.04 $2.04

19.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.88 $2.88

10.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.03 $2.03

-31.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$24.44 $24.44

2.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.03 $1.03

16.50%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$35.6K $35.6K

-1.61%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.9K $26.9K

-0.73%

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

$194 $194

$182 $182

7.00%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$66.2 $66.2

4.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$73.8 $73.8

-16.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$51.5 $51.5

-6.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$19.06 $19.06

43.44%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$19.63 $19.63

-9.27%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,483 $1,483

20.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$35.7K $35.7K

-10.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$50.8 $50.8

31.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$58.1 $58.1

-10.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$107 $107

-4.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$127 $127

13.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,113 $2,113

19.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,143 $2,143

-26.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$5,561 $5,561

-14.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$4,589 $4,589

-41.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$4,094 $4,094

2.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$3,360 $3,360

-17.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,983 $3,983

23.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.56

3.81%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Delray Beach, FL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Delray Beach, FL

$2.1K 59.8% 35.8% $565

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Delray Beach, FL

$419 11.7% 6.4% $28

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Delray Beach, FL

$434 12.1% 25.8% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Delray Beach, FL

$322 9% 1.2% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Delray Beach, FL

$154 4.3% 6% $9.9

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Delray Beach, FL

$21 * 0.6% 77.3% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Delray Beach, FL

$91 2.5% 8.6% $7.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,113 in Delray 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 24% higher in Chicago, IL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $118 in Delray Beach, FL. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $419 in Delray Beach, FL – so Delray Beach, FL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Delray Beach, FL

🕒 Local time

12:45 12:45 PM

13:45 1:45 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

60,522

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Delray Beach, FL 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,584 in Delray Beach, FL – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $5,376 in Delray Beach, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Delray Beach, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,113 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $118 in Delray Beach, FL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Delray Beach, FL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $3,584 in Delray 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,584 in Delray Beach, FL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.