Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Milton, FL: $2,574 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Milton, FL
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Milton, FL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Milton, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,574

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,574 in Milton, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Milton, FL $2,574

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,707 in Milton, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Milton, FL $3,707

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,839 in Milton, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Milton, FL $4,839

Chicago, IL costs about 18% more than Milton, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Milton, FL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Milton, FL by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$10.19 $10.19

103.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$100 $100

-11.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.06 $10.06

31.11%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.38 $4.38

29.22%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.99 $2.99

-11.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.14 $2.14

6.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.48 $5.48

25.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.70 $7.70

14.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.29 $1.29

-3.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.04 $4.04

-7.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.92 $5.92

-8.95%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.92 $4.92

-3.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.08 $11.08

24.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.05 $10.05

43.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$15.45 $15.45

18.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.13 $5.13

1.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.65 $1.65

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.34 $5.34

-23.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.49 $5.49

-9.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.33 $4.33

-38.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.20 $3.20

-16.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.18 $2.18

2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.62 $2.62

19.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$7.43 $7.43

86.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.86 $14.86

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.44 $2.44

4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.89 $3.89

-9.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.26 $2.26

7.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$56.7 $56.7

29.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.47 $3.47

-8.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.48 $1.48

-6.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$35.07 $35.07

-28.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.92 $0.92

30.43%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$33.0K $33.0K

6.16%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.50%

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

$194 $194

$266 $266

-26.80%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$73.1 $73.1

-5.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$73.1 $73.1

-15.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$40.32 $40.32

18.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.55 $12.55

41.91%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,512 $1,512

18.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$10.2K $10.2K

211.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$45.36 $45.36

47.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$30.36 $30.36

71.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$85.9 $85.9

18.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$120 $120

19.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,418 $1,418

78.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,246 $1,246

26.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,465 $2,465

92.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,881 $1,881

43.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,821 $2,821

48.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,098 $2,098

31.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.66

2.25%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Milton, FL: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Milton, FL

$1.2K 48.4% 21% $332

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Milton, FL

$420 16.3% 6.1% $27

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Milton, FL

$228 8.8% 34% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Milton, FL

$412 16% 26.5% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Milton, FL

$127 4.9% 22.6% $37

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Milton, FL

$77 3% 17.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Milton, FL

$65 2.5% 21.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,418 in Milton, FL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $100 in Milton, FL. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $420 in Milton, FL – so Milton, FL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Milton, FL

🕒 Local time

15:51 3:51 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

25,902

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Milton, FL 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,574 in Milton, FL – Milton, FL comes out roughly 15% cheaper. 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 $3,862 in Milton, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Milton, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,418 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $100 in Milton, 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,574 in Milton, FL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Milton, FL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.