Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Port St Lucie, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Port St Lucie, FL: $2,870 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Chicago, IL despite lower rent and utilities.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Port St Lucie, FL
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Port St Lucie, FL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Port St Lucie, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,870

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,870 in Port St Lucie, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Port St Lucie, FL $2,870

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,018 in Port St Lucie, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Port St Lucie, FL $4,018

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,166 in Port St Lucie, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Port St Lucie, FL $5,166

Chicago, IL costs about 6% more than Port St Lucie, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Port St Lucie, FL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Port St Lucie, FL by 111%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$21.36 $21.36

-3.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$79.3 $79.3

12.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.34 $11.34

16.31%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.28 $4.28

32.24%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.04 $3.04

-13.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.30 $2.30

-0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.03 $6.03

13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.92 $7.92

11.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.09 $1.09

14.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.88 $3.88

-4.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.41 $4.41

22.22%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.34 $3.34

41.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.24 $12.24

13.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.72 $10.72

34.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$16.62 $16.62

10.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.15 $4.15

25.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.77 $1.77

11.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.03 $2.03

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.68 $2.68

85.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.96 $1.96

36.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.43 $2.43

9.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.47 $2.47

-9.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.36 $2.36

32.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.11 $9.11

51.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.77 $14.77

0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.69 $1.69

50.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.61 $3.61

-2.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$45.81 $45.81

60.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.94 $2.94

8.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.93 $1.93

-27.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$30.35 $30.35

-17.53%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

-3.89%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.20%

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

$194 $194

$202 $202

-3.67%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$64.4 $64.4

7.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$77.5 $77.5

-20.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$38.87 $38.87

23.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$20.08 $20.08

36.16%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$16.28 $16.28

9.40%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,636 $1,636

9.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$21.3K $21.3K

49.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$53.0 $53.0

26.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$38.64 $38.64

34.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$93.5 $93.5

8.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$84.9 $84.9

69.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,824 $1,824

38.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,583 $1,583

-0.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,765 $2,765

71.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,322 $2,322

15.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,898 $2,898

44.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,378 $2,378

16.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,826 $3,826

28.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.38

6.74%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Port St Lucie, FL: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Port St Lucie, FL

$1.6K 55.2% 0.3% $5

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Port St Lucie, FL

$368 12.8% 17.7% $79

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Port St Lucie, FL

$324 11.3% 6.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Port St Lucie, FL

$344 12% 5.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Port St Lucie, FL

$122 4.2% 25.9% $42

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Port St Lucie, FL

$58 * 2% 37.5% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Port St Lucie, FL

$71 2.5% 14.5% $12

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 $1,824 in Port St Lucie, 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 29% 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 $79 in Port St Lucie, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $368 – making Port St Lucie, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Port St Lucie, FL

🕒 Local time

14:22 2:22 PM

15:22 3:22 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

164,603

💱 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 Port St Lucie, FL 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Port St Lucie, 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 Port St Lucie, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,870 in Port St Lucie, FL – Port St Lucie, FL comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,305 in Port St Lucie, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port St Lucie, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,824 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $79 in Port St Lucie, 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 $2,870 in Port St Lucie, FL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Port St Lucie, 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 Port St Lucie, 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.