Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Saint Petersburg, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Petersburg, FL: $2,990 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
146

Cost of Living Index in Saint Petersburg, FL
Learn more

Saint Petersburg, FL Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Saint Petersburg, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,990

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,990 in Saint Petersburg, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Saint Petersburg, FL $2,990

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,329 in Saint Petersburg, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Saint Petersburg, FL $4,329

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,669 in Saint Petersburg, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Saint Petersburg, FL $5,669

Chicago, IL costs about 7% more than Saint Petersburg, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Saint Petersburg, FL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Saint Petersburg, FL by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$19.87 $19.87

8.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$78.6 $78.6

12.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$9.38 $9.38

40.72%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.83 $4.83

15.73%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.10 $2.10

25.24%

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

$6.52 $6.52

9.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$7.68 $7.68

20.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.20 $1.20

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.83 $3.83

0.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.51 $3.51

44.44%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$4.61 $4.61

4.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$15.66 $15.66

-9.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$15.46 $15.46

-5.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$14.29 $14.29

31.28%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$6.28 $6.28

-17.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.48 $1.48

35.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$5.60 $5.60

-28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.87 $5.87

-15.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$4.59 $4.59

-39.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.80 $3.80

-30.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.51 $2.51

-15.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.51 $2.51

23.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$9.03 $9.03

77.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$15.23 $15.23

-0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.74 $1.74

50.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$5.86 $5.86

-40.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.23 $2.23

10.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

$78.7 $78.7

-4.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.45 $3.45

-6.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.44 $1.44

-3.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$59.3 $59.3

-57.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.99 $0.99

25.25%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

-0.01%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.2K $25.2K

2.40%

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

$192 $192

$245 $245

-21.36%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$45.76 $45.76

48.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$75.2 $75.2

-19.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$35.41 $35.41

51.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$15.86 $15.86

75.91%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$15.42 $15.42

15.43%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,234 $1,234

25.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$24.7K $24.7K

26.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$76.4 $76.4

-11.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$42.04 $42.04

20.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$73.0 $73.0

39.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$113 $113

26.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,951 $1,951

22.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,559 $1,559

9.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$3,557 $3,557

31.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,537 $2,537

7.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$5,464 $5,464

-23.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$3,672 $3,672

-26.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$4,169 $4,169

17.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.57

3.04%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Saint Petersburg, FL: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Saint Petersburg, FL

$1.6K 52.2% 8.9% $153

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Saint Petersburg, FL

$454 15.2% 0.7% $3.2

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Saint Petersburg, FL

$309 10.3% 12.5% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Saint Petersburg, FL

$365 12.2% 13.9% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Saint Petersburg, FL

$137 4.6% 16.2% $26

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Saint Petersburg, FL

$98 3.3% 3.3% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Saint Petersburg, FL

$66 2.2% 25.7% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $1,951 in Saint Petersburg, 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 17% 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 $79.0 in Saint Petersburg, FL. Groceries tell a different story – $451 in Chicago, IL vs $454 in Saint Petersburg, FL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Saint Petersburg, FL

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

01:43 1:43 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

244,324

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Saint Petersburg, FL 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Saint Petersburg, 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 Saint Petersburg, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL, $2,990 in Saint Petersburg, FL – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,484 in Saint Petersburg, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $79.0 in Saint Petersburg, FL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,185 in Chicago, IL and $2,990 in Saint Petersburg, 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 $2,990 in Saint Petersburg, FL to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Saint Petersburg, 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.