Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Palm Bay, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Palm Bay, FL: $2,316 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Palm Bay, FL
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Palm Bay, FL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Palm Bay, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,316

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,316 in Palm Bay, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Palm Bay, FL $2,316

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,528 in Palm Bay, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Palm Bay, FL $3,528

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,740 in Palm Bay, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Palm Bay, FL $4,740

Chicago, IL costs about 36% more than Palm Bay, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Palm Bay, FL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Palm Bay, FL by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$25.78 $25.78

-19.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$75.4 $75.4

19.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$10.16 $10.16

27.36%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.25 $5.25

6.67%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.92 $2.92

-9.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.91 $1.91

18.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.21 $5.21

33.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.64 $7.64

15.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.96 $0.96

32.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.88 $3.88

-2.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.17 $3.17

67.19%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.43 $3.43

38.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$13.22 $13.22

5.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.41 $11.41

28.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$15.04 $15.04

24.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.92 $3.92

32.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.57 $1.57

26.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.27 $4.27

-7.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.42 $5.42

-8.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.02 $3.02

-8.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.29 $3.29

-16.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.31 $2.31

-3.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.62 $2.62

13.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$9.30 $9.30

50.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.17 $13.17

16.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.75 $1.75

47.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.27 $3.27

7.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$10.02 $10.02

-66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.91 $1.91

-25.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.00 $1.00

26.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.2K $28.2K

24.27%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.09%

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

$193 $193

$170 $170

13.19%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$58.0 $58.0

17.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$75.7 $75.7

-19.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$34.02 $34.02

59.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$10.08 $10.08

75.99%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,016 $1,016

62.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$7,019 $7,019

342.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$67.2 $67.2

-1.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$27.83 $27.83

84.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$108 $108

-6.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$104 $104

35.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,408 $1,408

73.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,052 $1,052

59.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,951 $1,951

141.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,918 $1,918

45.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,502 $2,502

64.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,469 $2,469

7.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$3,520 $3,520

38.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.56

3.81%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Palm Bay, FL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Palm Bay, FL

$1.1K 45.4% 37.3% $625

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Palm Bay, FL

$388 16.7% 13.7% $62

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Palm Bay, FL

$360 15.6% 4.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Palm Bay, FL

$304 13.1% 5.7% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Palm Bay, FL

$138 6% 14.4% $23

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Palm Bay, FL

$20 * 0.8% 79.4% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Palm Bay, FL

$54 2.3% 39.5% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,408 in Palm Bay, 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 38% 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $75.0 in Palm Bay, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $388 – making Palm Bay, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Palm Bay, FL

🕒 Local time

07:33 7:33 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

119,760

💱 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 Palm Bay, FL 1,670 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,316 in Palm Bay, FL – roughly 36% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,474 in Palm Bay, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $75.0 in Palm Bay, FL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,316 in Palm Bay, 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 $2,316 in Palm Bay, FL to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Palm Bay, 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.