Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Melbourne, FL

For one person, living costs are similar in Chicago, IL and in Melbourne, FL: $3,185 and $3,213 a month, rent and utilities included.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne, FL
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Melbourne, FL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Melbourne, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,213

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,213 in Melbourne, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Melbourne, FL $3,213

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,425 in Melbourne, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Melbourne, FL $4,425

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,637 in Melbourne, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Melbourne, FL $5,637

Chicago, IL is about 1% cheaper than Melbourne, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Melbourne, FL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Melbourne, FL by 138%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$25.66 $25.66

-15.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$74.2 $74.2

19.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$9.95 $9.95

32.66%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.03 $5.03

11.13%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$3.03 $3.03

-13.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.94 $1.94

16.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$5.23 $5.23

35.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$7.40 $7.40

24.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.88 $0.88

45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$4.33 $4.33

-11.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.12 $3.12

62.50%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$5.70 $5.70

-15.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$13.32 $13.32

6.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.33 $11.33

28.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$14.80 $14.80

26.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.54 $4.54

14.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.50 $1.50

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.37 $4.37

-8.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.37 $5.37

-7.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.04 $3.04

-8.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.36 $3.36

-21.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.21 $2.21

-3.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.61 $2.61

18.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$9.51 $9.51

68.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$15.69 $15.69

-3.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.06 $2.06

27.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.33 $3.33

3.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.84 $3.84

-35.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

$41.62 $41.62

80.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$10.12 $10.12

-68.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.91 $1.91

-27.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

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

$36.8K $36.8K

0.95%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.1K $25.1K

2.76%

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

$192 $192

$173 $173

11.30%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$57.9 $57.9

17.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$78.1 $78.1

-22.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$40.63 $40.63

31.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$2.81 $2.81

892.88%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$12.66 $12.66

40.60%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$918 $918

69.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$20.8K $20.8K

50.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$75.1 $75.1

-9.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$56.3 $56.3

-9.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$117 $117

-13.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$105 $105

37.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,996 $1,996

19.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,838 $1,838

-6.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$2,769 $2,769

68.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,580 $2,580

6.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$2,442 $2,442

70.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$2,477 $2,477

8.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$3,581 $3,581

36.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.86

-1.31%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne, FL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Melbourne, FL

$1.8K 57.2% 7.3% $126

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Melbourne, FL

$409 12.7% 9.4% $42

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Melbourne, FL

$356 11.1% 1% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Melbourne, FL

$309 9.6% 3.8% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Melbourne, FL

$159 5% 2.8% $4.6

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Melbourne, FL

$77 2.4% 19.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Melbourne, FL

$66 2.1% 26.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $1,996 in Melbourne, 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 37% 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 $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $74.0 in Melbourne, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $409 – making Melbourne, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Melbourne, FL

🕒 Local time

07:33 7:33 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

76,068

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Melbourne, FL 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL, $3,213 in Melbourne, FL – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,820 in Melbourne, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Melbourne, FL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $74.0 in Melbourne, FL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,185 in Chicago, IL and $3,213 in Melbourne, 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 $3,185 in Chicago, IL to $3,213 in Melbourne, FL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.