Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and St. Augustine, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in St. Augustine, FL: $2,832 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
135

Cost of Living Index in St. Augustine, FL
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St. Augustine, FL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

St. Augustine, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,832 in St. Augustine, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
St. Augustine, FL $2,832

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,938 in St. Augustine, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
St. Augustine, FL $3,938

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,044 in St. Augustine, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
St. Augustine, FL $5,044

Chicago, IL costs about 7% more than St. Augustine, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and St. Augustine, FL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, St. Augustine, FL by 108%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.96 $20.96

-1.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$76.0 $76.0

17.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.54 $9.54

38.26%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.20 $5.20

8.85%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.27 $2.27

16.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.45 $1.45

57.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.04 $5.04

36.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.85 $6.85

29.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.09 $1.09

14.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.98 $1.98

87.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.34 $4.34

24.19%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.57 $3.57

32.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.19 $12.19

13.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.90 $10.90

32.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.81 $17.81

3.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.82 $5.82

-10.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.97 $1.97

0.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.20 $5.20

-21.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.29 $3.29

51.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.66 $1.66

60.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.23 $3.23

-17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.47 $2.47

-9.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.94 $1.94

61.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$7.10 $7.10

94.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.15 $14.15

5.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.83 $2.83

-10.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.55 $2.55

37.65%

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

$2.86 $2.86

11.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.92 $1.92

-27.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$34.34 $34.34

-27.11%

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

-4.02%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.27%

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

$194 $194

$118 $118

64.73%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$64.3 $64.3

8.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$78.5 $78.5

-21.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$40.12 $40.12

19.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$24.51 $24.51

11.55%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$13.89 $13.89

28.22%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,177 $1,177

52.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$8,039 $8,039

297.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$64.0 $64.0

4.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$41.48 $41.48

25.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$79.3 $79.3

28.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$111 $111

29.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,775 $1,775

42.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,668 $1,668

-5.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,159 $3,159

50.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,353 $2,353

14.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,196 $3,196

31.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,677 $2,677

3.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,461 $4,461

10.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.27

8.61%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for St. Augustine, FL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

St. Augustine, FL

$1.7K 58.9% 5.7% $90

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

St. Augustine, FL

$377 13.3% 15.7% $70

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

St. Augustine, FL

$312 11% 9.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

St. Augustine, FL

$261 9.2% 19.9% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

St. Augustine, FL

$133 4.7% 18.8% $31

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

St. Augustine, FL

$12 * 0.4% 86.7% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

St. Augustine, FL

$68 2.4% 18.7% $16

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 $1,775 in St. Augustine, 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 11% 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 $76 in St. Augustine, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $377 – making St. Augustine, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 St. Augustine, FL

🕒 Local time

19:23 7:23 PM

20:23 8:23 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

12,975

💱 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 St. Augustine, FL 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
St. Augustine, 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 St. Augustine, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,832 in St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine, FL comes out roughly 7% 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 $4,248 in St. Augustine, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St. Augustine, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,775 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $76 in St. Augustine, FL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward St. Augustine, 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 St. Augustine, 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.