Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and New Smyrna Beach, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in New Smyrna Beach, FL: $2,736 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in New Smyrna Beach, FL
Learn more

New Smyrna Beach, FL Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

New Smyrna Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,736 in New Smyrna Beach, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
New Smyrna Beach, FL $2,736

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,935 in New Smyrna Beach, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
New Smyrna Beach, FL $3,935

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,134 in New Smyrna Beach, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
New Smyrna Beach, FL $5,134

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

Both Chicago, IL and New Smyrna Beach, FL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, New Smyrna Beach, FL by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.91 $19.91

4.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$78.8 $78.8

13.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.65 $11.65

13.22%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.86 $5.86

-3.41%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.10 $3.10

-14.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.16 $2.16

5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.99 $6.99

-1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.94 $6.94

27.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.02 $1.02

22.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.17 $3.17

17.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.50 $2.50

115.60%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.56 $4.56

3.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.99 $11.99

15.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$9.67 $9.67

48.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$15.71 $15.71

17.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.94 $5.94

-12.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.39 $1.39

42.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.01 $4.01

1.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.74 $4.74

4.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.49 $2.49

7.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.84 $2.84

-6.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.53 $1.53

46.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.76 $1.76

77.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.82 $8.82

56.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.75 $13.75

8.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.06 $2.06

23.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.98 $2.98

17.79%

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

$1.53 $1.53

107.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.12 $1.12

24.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$13.66 $13.66

83.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.94 $0.94

27.66%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$26.8K $26.8K

30.82%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.37%

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

$194 $194

$188 $188

3.27%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$64.1 $64.1

8.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$68.6 $68.6

-10.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$25.14 $25.14

90.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$13.45 $13.45

32.42%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$625 $625

186.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$12.1K $12.1K

164.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$53.8 $53.8

24.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$48.80 $48.80

6.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$86.8 $86.8

17.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$113 $113

27.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,643 $1,643

53.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,522 $1,522

3.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,421 $2,421

95.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,420 $2,420

11.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,720 $2,720

54.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,373 $2,373

16.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$7,529 $7,529

-34.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.69

1.79%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for New Smyrna Beach, FL: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$1.5K 55.6% 3.6% $56

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$363 13.3% 18.8% $84

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$334 12.2% 3.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$321 11.7% 1.4% $4.6

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$136 5% 17% $28

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$7.1 * 0.3% 92.4% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$52 1.9% 37.7% $31

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 $1,643 in New Smyrna 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 53% higher in New Smyrna Beach, FL, 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 $79 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $363 – making New Smyrna Beach, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 New Smyrna Beach, FL

🕒 Local time

20:57 8:57 PM

21:57 9:57 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

30,142

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL New Smyrna Beach, FL 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,736 in New Smyrna Beach, FL – New Smyrna Beach, FL comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,104 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in New Smyrna Beach, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,643 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $79 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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