Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Pierce, FL: $2,727 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
132

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Fort Pierce, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,727 in Fort Pierce, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Fort Pierce, FL $2,727

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,975 in Fort Pierce, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Fort Pierce, FL $3,975

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,224 in Fort Pierce, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Fort Pierce, FL $5,224

Chicago, IL costs about 11% more than Fort Pierce, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Fort Pierce, FL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Fort Pierce, FL by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$21.21 $21.21

-2.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$65.1 $65.1

36.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.05 $11.05

19.37%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.35 $5.35

5.79%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.45 $2.45

7.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.12 $2.12

7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.37 $5.37

27.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.02 $8.02

10.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.89 $0.89

40.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.88 $2.88

29.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.38 $4.38

23.06%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.38 $3.38

40.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.10 $12.10

14.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.79 $10.79

33.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$13.56 $13.56

35.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.72 $5.72

-8.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.94 $1.94

2.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.07 $5.07

-19.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.65 $4.65

6.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.68 $3.68

-27.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.45 $3.45

-22.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.84 $1.84

21.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.81 $1.81

72.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.38 $9.38

47.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$9.60 $9.60

55.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.37 $3.37

-24.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.61 $3.61

-2.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.89 $2.89

10.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.93 $1.93

-27.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$35.37 $35.37

-29.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.88 $0.88

36.36%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$18.2K $18.2K

92.26%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.91%

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

$194 $194

$128 $128

51.45%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$63.1 $63.1

10.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$77.3 $77.3

-20.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$48.87 $48.87

-1.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$13.97 $13.97

27.49%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,585 $1,585

13.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$21.3K $21.3K

49.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$42.94 $42.94

56.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$40.29 $40.29

29.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$75.9 $75.9

33.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$86.3 $86.3

66.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,868 $1,868

35.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,556 $1,556

1.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,969 $2,969

59.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,617 $2,617

2.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,279 $3,279

27.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,134 $2,134

29.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$2,562 $2,562

92.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.24

9.13%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Fort Pierce, FL: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Fort Pierce, FL

$1.6K 57.1% 1.4% $22

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Fort Pierce, FL

$374 13.7% 16.5% $74

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Fort Pierce, FL

$328 12% 4.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Fort Pierce, FL

$269 9.9% 17.4% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Fort Pierce, FL

$110 4.1% 32.6% $54

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Fort Pierce, FL

$13 * 0.5% 86.6% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Fort Pierce, FL

$77 2.8% 8% $6.7

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 $1,868 in Fort Pierce, 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 92% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $65 in Fort Pierce, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $374 – making Fort Pierce, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Fort Pierce, FL

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

09:20 9:20 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

46,103

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Fort Pierce, FL 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,727 in Fort Pierce, FL – roughly 11% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,090 in Fort Pierce, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fort Pierce, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,868 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $65 in Fort Pierce, FL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% 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.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,727 in Fort Pierce, FL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Fort Pierce, 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 Fort Pierce, 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.