Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Palm Coast, FL: $2,523 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
121

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Palm Coast, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,523

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,523 in Palm Coast, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Palm Coast, FL $2,523

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,512 in Palm Coast, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Palm Coast, FL $3,512

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,501 in Palm Coast, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Palm Coast, FL $4,501

Chicago, IL costs about 20% more than Palm Coast, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Palm Coast, FL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Palm Coast, FL by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$17.07 $17.07

21.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$81.3 $81.3

9.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.16 $9.16

44.00%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.98 $4.98

13.65%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.10 $2.10

25.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.80 $1.80

26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.61 $6.61

3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.64 $7.64

15.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.01 $1.01

23.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.69 $3.69

0.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.39 $3.39

59.00%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.02 $4.02

17.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.91 $11.91

16.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.51 $11.51

25.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$14.52 $14.52

26.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.47 $6.47

-19.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.47 $1.47

34.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.63 $5.63

-27.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.17 $5.17

-3.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.43 $4.43

-39.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.65 $3.65

-27.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.98 $1.98

13.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.51 $2.51

24.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.86 $8.86

55.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$9.81 $9.81

51.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.70 $1.70

49.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.30 $2.30

52.61%

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

$3.43 $3.43

-7.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.49 $1.49

-6.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$60.9 $60.9

-58.90%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

25.51%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.35%

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

$194 $194

$236 $236

-17.60%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$46.71 $46.71

48.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$39.42 $39.42

56.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$27.42 $27.42

74.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.44 $15.44

15.35%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$957 $957

87.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$24.8K $24.8K

28.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$58.6 $58.6

14.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$39.67 $39.67

31.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$73.9 $73.9

37.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$110 $110

30.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,542 $1,542

63.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,323 $1,323

19.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,961 $1,961

141.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,810 $1,810

48.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,848 $3,848

28.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.57

3.65%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Palm Coast, FL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Palm Coast, FL

$1.3K 52.4% 16.2% $255

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Palm Coast, FL

$394 15.6% 11.8% $53

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Palm Coast, FL

$288 11.4% 16.6% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Palm Coast, FL

$322 12.8% 1.1% $3.4

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Palm Coast, FL

$127 5% 22.6% $37

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Palm Coast, FL

$11 * 0.4% 88.3% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Palm Coast, FL

$58 2.3% 30.2% $25

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 $1,542 in Palm Coast, 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 28% 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 $81 in Palm Coast, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $394 – making Palm Coast, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Palm Coast, FL

🕒 Local time

22:08 10:08 PM

23:08 11:08 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

68,013

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Palm Coast, FL 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,523 in Palm Coast, FL – Palm Coast, FL comes out roughly 17% 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 $3,784 in Palm Coast, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palm Coast, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,542 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $81 in Palm Coast, FL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,523 in Palm Coast, FL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Palm Coast, 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 Palm Coast, FL. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.