Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Sun City Center, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Sun City Center, FL: $2,492 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

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

Cost of Living Index in Sun City Center, FL
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Sun City Center, FL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Sun City Center, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,492

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,492 in Sun City Center, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Sun City Center, FL $2,492

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,720 in Sun City Center, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Sun City Center, FL $3,720

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,948 in Sun City Center, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Sun City Center, FL $4,948

Chicago, IL costs about 22% more than Sun City Center, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Sun City Center, FL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Sun City Center, FL by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$22.50 $22.50

-7.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$69.4 $69.4

28.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.90 $11.90

10.84%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.55 $5.55

1.98%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.43 $2.43

8.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.89 $1.89

20.63%

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

$7.38 $7.38

19.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.99 $0.99

26.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.39 $3.39

9.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.49 $3.49

54.44%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.02 $3.02

56.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.07 $12.07

14.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.39 $13.39

7.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.04 $19.04

-3.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.17 $5.17

0.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.70 $1.70

16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.68 $5.68

-28.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.21 $3.21

54.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.87 $1.87

42.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.24 $3.24

-17.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.64 $2.64

-15.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.31 $1.31

138.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.19 $9.19

50.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.15 $13.15

13.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.79 $1.79

41.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.89 $4.89

-28.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.13 $2.13

14.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$60.5 $60.5

21.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.59 $3.59

-11.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.46 $1.46

-4.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$29.67 $29.67

-15.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.02 $1.02

17.65%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.5K $27.5K

27.33%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$22.6K $22.6K

18.21%

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

$194 $194

$119 $119

62.82%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$37.81 $37.81

83.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$61.0 $61.0

1.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$44.79 $44.79

6.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.92 $14.92

19.37%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,038 $1,038

72.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$18.3K $18.3K

74.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$37.17 $37.17

80.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$40.66 $40.66

28.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$87.3 $87.3

16.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$184 $184

-21.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,462 $1,462

72.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,234 $1,234

27.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,522 $2,522

87.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,089 $2,089

28.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,247 $3,247

29.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,501 $2,501

10.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.6

3.18%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sun City Center, FL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Sun City Center, FL

$1.2K 49.5% 21.8% $344

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Sun City Center, FL

$388 15.6% 13.2% $59

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Sun City Center, FL

$339 13.6% 1.6% $5.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Sun City Center, FL

$218 8.8% 33% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Sun City Center, FL

$157 6.3% 4.3% $7

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Sun City Center, FL

$80 3.2% 14.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Sun City Center, FL

$75 3% 10.6% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,462 in Sun City Center, FL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $69 in Sun City Center, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $388 – making Sun City Center, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Sun City Center, FL

🕒 Local time

11:08 11:08 AM

12:08 12:08 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

19,258

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Sun City Center, FL 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Sun City Center, 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 Sun City Center, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,492 in Sun City Center, FL – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,738 in Sun City Center, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sun City Center, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,462 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 15% 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 in Chicago, IL and $69 in Sun City Center, 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,492 in Sun City Center, FL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Sun City Center, FL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Sun City Center, FL is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 22% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.