Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Pinellas Park, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Pinellas Park, FL: $2,503 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Pinellas Park, FL
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Pinellas Park, FL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Pinellas Park, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,503

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,503 in Pinellas Park, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Pinellas Park, FL $2,503

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,749 in Pinellas Park, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Pinellas Park, FL $3,749

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,996 in Pinellas Park, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Pinellas Park, FL $4,996

Chicago, IL costs about 27% more than Pinellas Park, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Pinellas Park, FL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Pinellas Park, FL by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$19.66 $19.66

9.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$68.2 $68.2

29.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$12.23 $12.23

7.93%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.19 $5.19

7.71%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.52 $2.52

4.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.86 $1.86

21.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$5.64 $5.64

26.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$7.41 $7.41

24.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.14 $1.14

12.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.89 $3.89

-1.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$4.97 $4.97

2.01%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$3.48 $3.48

39.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$12.27 $12.27

15.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$13.24 $13.24

10.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$19.23 $19.23

-2.44%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.43 $5.43

-4.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.75 $1.75

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$5.40 $5.40

-25.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.30 $3.30

50.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.00 $2.00

39.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.94 $2.94

-9.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.45 $2.45

-13.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.07 $2.07

49.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$9.18 $9.18

74.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$12.88 $12.88

18.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.09 $2.09

25.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$5.32 $5.32

-34.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.01 $2.01

22.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

$30.14 $30.14

149.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.46 $2.46

30.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.46 $1.46

-4.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$20.31 $20.31

23.19%

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

$37.3K $37.3K

-0.43%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.06%

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

$192 $192

$238 $238

-19.30%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$42.36 $42.36

60.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$75.2 $75.2

-19.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$26.07 $26.07

105.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$25.03 $25.03

11.47%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$15.63 $15.63

13.88%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,071 $1,071

45.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$17.7K $17.7K

77.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$56.0 $56.0

21.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$43.45 $43.45

16.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$89.5 $89.5

13.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$122 $122

17.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,330 $1,330

79.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,171 $1,171

46.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$2,280 $2,280

104.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,114 $2,114

29.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$2,183 $2,183

90.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$1,636 $1,636

64.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$2,406 $2,406

103.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.4

5.78%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pinellas Park, FL: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Pinellas Park, FL

$1.2K 46.8% 31.6% $541

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Pinellas Park, FL

$414 16.5% 8.3% $37

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Pinellas Park, FL

$317 12.7% 10.2% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Pinellas Park, FL

$356 14.2% 10.9% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Pinellas Park, FL

$140 5.6% 14.4% $24

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Pinellas Park, FL

$48 1.9% 49.6% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Pinellas Park, FL

$57 2.3% 35.7% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $1,330 in Pinellas Park, 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 103% 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 $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $68.0 in Pinellas Park, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $414 – making Pinellas Park, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Pinellas Park, FL

🕒 Local time

03:03 3:03 AM

04:03 4:03 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

47,354

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Pinellas Park, FL 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL, $2,503 in Pinellas Park, FL – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,755 in Pinellas Park, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 9% 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $68.0 in Pinellas Park, FL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pinellas Park, FL, where all-in costs run around $2,503, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Pinellas Park, FL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,503 in Pinellas Park, FL to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Pinellas Park, 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.