Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Fort Myers, FL

For one person, living costs are similar in Chicago, IL and in Fort Myers, FL: $3,185 and $3,034 a month, rent and utilities included.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Fort Myers, FL
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Fort Myers, FL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Fort Myers, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,034

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,034 in Fort Myers, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Fort Myers, FL $3,034

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,394 in Fort Myers, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Fort Myers, FL $4,394

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,753 in Fort Myers, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Fort Myers, FL $5,753

Chicago, IL costs about 5% more than Fort Myers, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Fort Myers, FL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Fort Myers, FL by 125%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$24.92 $24.92

-13.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$78.7 $78.7

12.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$12.46 $12.46

5.94%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.49 $4.49

24.50%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.71 $2.71

-2.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.95 $1.95

15.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$4.87 $4.87

46.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$6.07 $6.07

52.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.03 $1.03

24.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$4.60 $4.60

-16.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$4.97 $4.97

2.01%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$4.05 $4.05

19.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$9.48 $9.48

49.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$10.57 $10.57

38.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$19.79 $19.79

-5.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$6.15 $6.15

-15.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.47 $1.47

36.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.26 $4.26

-6.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.44 $5.44

-8.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.75 $2.75

1.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.79 $3.79

-30.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.75 $2.75

-22.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.79 $1.79

72.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$9.02 $9.02

77.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$16.77 $16.77

-9.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.58 $2.58

1.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.20 $2.20

57.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.01 $2.01

22.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

$39.37 $39.37

90.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.98 $3.98

-19.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.88 $1.88

-26.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$23.65 $23.65

5.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.03 $1.03

20.39%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$33.6K $33.6K

10.50%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

-0.16%

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

$192 $192

-0.09%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$64.0 $64.0

6.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$80.9 $80.9

-24.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$45.57 $45.57

17.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$19.95 $19.95

39.85%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$17.91 $17.91

-0.61%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,915 $1,915

-18.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$41.2K $41.2K

-23.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$46.85 $46.85

44.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$41.22 $41.22

23.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$87.6 $87.6

15.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$98.3 $98.3

45.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,791 $1,791

33.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,670 $1,670

2.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$2,952 $2,952

58.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,714 $2,714

0.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$2,673 $2,673

55.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$2,693 $2,693

-0.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$3,747 $3,747

30.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.63

2.11%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Fort Myers, FL: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Fort Myers, FL

$1.7K 55% 2.5% $42

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Fort Myers, FL

$416 13.7% 7.8% $35

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Fort Myers, FL

$346 11.4% 2% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Fort Myers, FL

$337 11.1% 5.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Fort Myers, FL

$123 4.1% 24.6% $40

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Fort Myers, FL

$61 2% 36.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Fort Myers, FL

$81 2.7% 8.7% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $1,791 in Fort Myers, 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 31% 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 $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $79.0 in Fort Myers, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $416 – making Fort Myers, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Fort Myers, FL

🕒 Local time

11:23 11:23 AM

12:23 12:23 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

68,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Fort Myers, FL 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Fort Myers, 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 Fort Myers, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL, $3,034 in Fort Myers, FL – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,551 in Fort Myers, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 8% 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 $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $79.0 in Fort Myers, FL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,185 in Chicago, IL and $3,034 in Fort Myers, 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 $3,034 in Fort Myers, FL to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Fort Myers, 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.